Rewind
by UnicaAmicaPoetae
Summary: The teenage love affair between Sasuke and Sakura ends with the birth of a child they're unable to keep. 15 years later, Sasuke struggles to find his daughter and heal the wounds their separation left him.
1. The Beautiful Cherry Blossom

**Disclaimer****:** I don't own Naruto or K-ON (if I did, Itachi would be still alive and Mitsu would be canon).

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><p>The intoxicating scent of cherry blossoms filled the air above Konoha High School. It was already early May and the freshmen seemed to get used to the environment of high school, along with the cherry trees that filled its court. Thousands of pastel-colored petals danced with the breeze until they met the light green grass, making even poker-faced people drop their façade and give in the unique beauty of spring.<p>

The bell had just rung, giving students the permission to leave that solid jail, commonly known as school. After a tiring day full of physics, chemistry, mathematics, literature and the rest of those boring subjects they were obligated to attend, all students were now free to relax and enjoy their afternoon. Of course, the fact that it was Friday made it even better and consequently all of them had a wide smile on their faces. All, except for a girl who resembled to a fully bloomed cherry tree, with whom –ironically- shared the same name. Her emerald eyes seemed liquid, as if they fought against the urge to cry. She stood alone, in the corner of the park that was in front of her school, and looked like she was waiting for someone. She seemed nervous and worried and it was painfully obvious that whatever she was about to do was not something pleasant to her.

Suddenly, she stood up as she heard a very familiar male voice. A handsome raven-haired boy was making his way home, along with the company of his best friend. Gulping, she gathered all her strength and approached them.

"Hey Sakura-chan!" exclaimed a hyperactive blond the moment he saw her. Sakura returned the greeting with a fake smile on her face, while she felt her boyfriend's arm tangling around her waist. Then, she turned to the black-haired boy and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Sasuke-kun, could we please talk for a moment? Alone?" she asked, her eyes meeting the ground.

"Ok, I got the message, lovebirds. See you later!" said the blond, walking down the road.

"Thank you, Naruto. What I want to discuss with Sasuke-kun is really important and extremely personal, so please don't feel offended" apologized Sakura.

Naruto only grinned and waved to his friends. Sasuke on the other hand, stared at Sakura with curiosity. What was that so 'important' and 'personal' matter she wanted to talk about?

They were both sitting on a bench at the park. Actually, that wasn't just like any other bench. It was there where they first admitted their love for each other, where they kissed for the first time, where they vowed they would be together until the bitter end. That bench was really their spot.

They couple stayed there for a long time without talking, when Sasuke, annoyed by the silence between them, tried to break that awkward ice.

"Well, why did you ask me to come here?" said coolly.

Sakura blushed and felt uncomfortable. But there was no going back now. She couldn't chicken-out that time.

"Huhh, it's about what happened the other day. In your house…" she trailed off, unable to continue.

Sasuke blushed at remembering the things that had occurred between them three weeks earlier, when their relationship was taken to another level. He came back to reality though, when he observed tears pouring down Sakura's face.

"Sakura, what's wrong? Does it still hurt? Did you regret it?" he asked worried.

She didn't respond for a while and that made him more anxious.

"Sakura, answer me."

"I thought you would… That you did—… and we were safe… But you… You should be more careful, Sasuke-kun" she managed to say between her sobs.

Sasuke couldn't figure out the meaning of her words, until it hit him. She couldn't possibly be talking about…

"Sasuke-kun, I'm pregnant…" she finally confessed, caressing her currently flat belly with her left hand. More tears were now running down her porcelain skin, staining it, and she fell into his arms, waiting for him to respond.

Sasuke stood there motionless. He didn't know what he was supposed to say. His mind had gone completely blank. Damn it! They were freshmen in high school and becoming parents at such a young age was certainly not something they were planning. How was he going to be a father when he wasn't even fifteen years old?

"Please, say something! Anything!" she pleaded, bringing him back to his senses.

"First of all, when did you find out? And secondly, are you sure? Tests' accuracy is questionable" responded with the hope that this was only a nightmare.

"I did several tests a couple of days ago and all of them were positive. So, I decided to go to the doctor–something that I did yesterday… I don't think it's necessary to repeat what the results were…" answered Sakura.

So, it was true. A child was growing within his girlfriend's womb. A part of him felt unbelievably guilty. He was the one who should have made sure that they had taken the right precautions to avoid an unwanted pregnancy. He mentally cursed himself for being so reckless and irresponsible. But it was too late to fix it now. They had to find a solution soon, before things got worse, and panicking wouldn't help the case. Sasuke did his best to restrain his senses, even if this wasn't an easy task. Sakura, on the contrary, had broken into tears and her hands were trembling.

"Sakura, calm down, please. Crying isn't going to solve the problem" he said as tenderly as he could, wiping away her tears. "There are not many options about the resolution of the case and the worst part is that all of them are going to hurt us eventually, in one way or another" he continued.

Sakura had stopped crying and looked him straight to the eyes, waiting to hear what he was going to say.

"First option: we're getting married and we bring up this child together. Of course this is not going to be easy at all, as we will need your parents' approval because we're underage. Also, this means that you will have to give up school and stay at home with the child for a good amount of time, while I'll have to continue high school and then find a job as soon as possible. Second option: you have an abortion" he said lowering his eyes.

Sakura stared at him intensely after his last comment. Thankfully, he didn't seem to be in favor of this, as his face adopted an unpleasant expression from the moment he proposed it.

"I am not going to kill my child" she stated without any emotion in her voice.

"That's something I wouldn't like either" he said back.

"What are we doing, then? We're forcing ourselves into a wedding because of the baby, refusing to follow our dreams? I love you, Sasuke-kun. I really do. But I don't want you to destroy your life because of me and this…" said Sakura, pointing in her stomach.

Sasuke remained silent. His view for the future did not contain marriage until he was done with his university studies and had a job.

"And here we go again. Trapped in a dead-end" said Sakura, slightly smirking at her rhyme.

"There is one more option, but includes a lot of emotional pain: we give the child for adoption right after its birth" proposed the boy.

The girl dwelled on the idea for a long time. Carrying the child until it's born and then give it to another family to raise it on their own wasn't the best solution for sure, but at least the fetus would not be killed and it may had the opportunity to have a better life than that they could provide it with.

"Let me think further about that. I can't make such a decision spontaneously" declared Sakura the moment she stood up from the bench.

"I want you to know that I'll be by your side no matter what happens and whatever your choice may be" said Sasuke.

She simply gave him a bittersweet smile and walked away, trying to pick up the broken pieces of her heart.

"How on earth can you be so foolish as to fail to use protection?" shouted an angered male with long black hair.

"I had never had sex before and I didn't know what to do. It never crossed my mind what the consequences might be" said Sasuke with an apologizing manner.

"Of course! I mean, babies are brought to life by storks. Sex has nothing to do with pregnancy. Am I right, Sasuke?" mocked his brother.

"I wasn't planning to sleep with Sakura that day. It just happened. Had I known it, I would have been prepared" responded the younger boy in order to defend himself.

"And what are you going to do? Don't tell me you're gonna keep it" said Itachi harshly.

"We are giving it for adoption. We have already talked to Sakura's parents and they agreed. At first they were rather negative about that and insisted that Sakura make an abortion immediately, but they compromised eventually. Moreover, Sakura will stop school until winter, when the child is to be born" stated the boy.

"For the time being, I think it goes without saying that you help her financially."

"I have already proposed that to her, but Sakura was too proud to accept my offer" said Sasuke.

"I believe you should overlook her refusal and provide her some economical aid. Her parents might not be able to carry the burden of her pregnancy" insisted Itachi.

"I'll do my best" promised Sasuke.

It was a cold January morning when their daughter was brought to life. Her birth was rather difficult and lasted many hours, but fortunately the child's health was not jeopardized. Sakura had been staying in the hospital for a week before she gave birth to the child and Sasuke had been visiting her every single day. But, the closer they got to the labor, the sadder the felt about what was settled to come.

"Sasuke-kun! Mother! Mhmm! It hurts!" screamed Sakura as she finally felt her child's head getting out of her.

"Push, Sakura! Push! It's only a matter of time before the infant is out completely" said the doctor.

Sasuke was next to her all the time. Sakura was grabbing his hand during her labor to feel reassurance. When he saw how much the girl suffered, he blamed himself. If only he had been more responsible…

Suddenly, after a throaty moan coming from Sakura, a small whimper echoed in the hospital room. A small creature had just made its appearance out of Sakura's body and brought tears to everyone's eyes.

The boy immediately kissed his girlfriend's forehead. She had gone through so much physical and psychological pain that it was almost unbelievable that she was able to stand it. He observed her green eyes, which were now watery –from happiness or sadness? He couldn't tell- and understood that even though he had hurt her, she didn't seem to hate him. In fact, it was obvious that she still loved him.

"Congratulations! Your daughter is perfectly fine! Miss Haruno, it would be better if you relaxed for a while. The labor was really exhausting and your energy is depleted" said the doctor, taking the girl with her to clean it from the blood.

"I'll try to" said Sakura quietly.

"Sasuke-kun, I think we should let her rest" said Sakura's mother to the boy, who nodded. "Sakura, in case you need anything, I'll be outside" she told her daughter who closed her eyes in affirmation.

Sakura was left alone in the room for nearly five hours. During that period, she wasn't able to sleep at all as every time she closed her eyes, she would recall her child crying.

A light knock was heard at the door followed by a 'May I come in?'. Hardly had Sakura responded to the question, when the door opened and a nurse walked in.

"Glad to see you're awake, Miss Haruno. I thought you would like to see your daughter, so I brought her here. She's so cute! Like an angel!" exclaimed the nurse happily.

"Hand her over" said Sakura with a saddened expression on her face. "Thank you for bringing her".

The nurse left the room quickly, smiling at the view of a mother with her newborn daughter.

The moment Sakura took her daughter to her arms, a strange feeling built up within her. She wasn't sure if it was unpleasant or not, but she was sure she had never felt like that before. For a split second, she wanted cancel the adoption and raise her child herself, but she knew she couldn't do it.

The nurse was right. Indeed, the baby girl was very beautiful. She had her father's black hair and her eyes were slightly lighter than Sasuke's but with Sakura's shape.

The baby seemed to be comfortable within her mother's arms. Her tiny lips had formed a small but utterly warm smile while she looked to Sakura with curiosity.

Sakura smiled back, trying to keep her tears in her eyes.

"Please, don't hate us for leaving you. It's because we can't give you the happiness you deserve. But, never forget this: your father and I love you with all our heart. No matter where you are, we will always be by your side" Sakura whispered to her daughter.

Eventually, she couldn't win the battle against her tears.

"Sakura, Mrs. Akiyama is here to see the baby" said Sakura's mother while walking into the room, disturbing the girl's interaction with her daughter.

"Hello, Sakura-chan! Pleased to meet you" said a brown haired woman around her forties.

Sakura gave her a fake smile in return.

"This is our beloved baby?" asked rhetorically the woman.

Sakura nodded.

"Can I hold her?" she asked politely.

"Of course you can. After all, she is your daughter" responded Sakura's mother quickly, taking the infant away from the girl and giving it to Mrs. Akiyama.

"_She is __my__ daughter" _Sakura wanted to say, but the words never left her mouth.

"She's lovely! Have you named her?" exclaimed the brown-haired woman.

"No" answered Sakura.

"Can I name her, then?" asked a very happy Mrs. Akiyama.

Sakura only shrugged her shoulders in affirmation.

"Let's see! What name would be the most appropriate for a beautiful cherry blossom like you?... That's it! Mio! Beautiful cherry blossom!" she said extremely pleased. "Sakura-chan, what do you say? Do you like it?"

"It's perfect" responded the young mother.

"I'm afraid I have to take the child, now" declared a nurse who had just come into the room.

"I see. I think I'll be going now" said Mio's foster mother. "Goodbye Sakura-chan, Mrs. Haruno", she waved them and then turned to the baby, "Goodbye, Mio".

Sakura was left in the room with her mother. A pregnant silence occurred until Sakura's mother stood up to get outside the room.

"Mother, could you please tell Sasuke-kun that I want to see him?" asked Sakura with hesitation.

"I will" her mother reassured her.

Sasuke came in shortly after and sat close to Sakura. They remained silent for a long time, unable to look each other straight to the eye. They wanted to say so many things, but unfortunately they couldn't find the right words to express them. Their inability to handle the situation was driving them crazy. Once again, the boy was the one who gathered all of his remaining courage and dared to speak first.

"So, how do you feel?"

"Terrible" responded the girl flatly.

"As far as your health after the birth is concerned or—"

"Sasuke, don't speak anymore. You're only making it more painful"

Sasuke said nothing after that. He lifted from his sitting position and moved towards the door, feeling emptier than ever in his life.

"Sasuke-kun… Farewell" whispered Sakura, as if they would never meet again.

He was not strong enough to turn his head and look at her. He was much of a coward to confess how much losing their child hurt him. He was too weak to tell her how much he loved her and the infant they brought to life. He was not himself anymore.


	2. Dreams and Decisions

**A/N:** Hi there! Here I am again with the second chapter of "Rewind". Thank you so much for the reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the first (and maybe even more xD). If you are fans of _Naruto_ you can check out my other story _"The pen is mightier than the kunai"_ and if you can understand greek you can read _"Λαβωμένο Ξωτικό"_ *shameless self promotion*.

a/w here's chapter two:

...

ooops! I almost forgot!

**Disclaimer:** The anime series "Naruto" and "K-ON!" are not mine.

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><p>"Your playing is improving, Azusa! Well done!"<p>

"Thank you, Mio-senpai! If it wasn't for your help, I'd probably never learn how to play the guitar" said sheepishly the girl with the braids.

"All I did was to guide you and show you some tips. You have the innate talent to play. It's all thanks to you" replied Mio with a smile.

"Mio-senpai, I want to tell you something… I've always been looking up to you. You're so beautiful, smart, mature, talented. I want to be just like you" said Azusa blushing.

"I'm glad to hear you think highly of me, but Azusa, you should develop your own personality instead of trying to imitate someone else! Because, you know, you might become even better than the person you admire" responded the older girl.

"Mio-chan! Azu-nyan! We've brought you some tea and lots of sweets!" said a brown-haired girl with barrettes.

"We thought you would like to take a break from your lessons" continued a blue-eyed girl.

"Thank you! Actually, we've just finished so we would be happy if you joined us" said Mio.

The four maidens sat around the table of the class of the light music club, where they would spend most of their time. Their group, Houkago Tea Time or HTT, was undeniably great. Hardly ever did Sakura Orphanage host people as talented as the members of HTT and the fact that all of them were extremely kind and friendly made them the most popular girls in the orphanage.

"So Azusa, how is your training with Mio going?"

"Very well, Mugi-senpai! Mio-senpai is a brilliant teacher" said the younger girl, whose comment made Mio blush a bit.

"That means that sooner or later you'll join our band? We have to celebrate this by eating more sweets!" exclaimed the hyperactive brunette.

"Yui-senpai, calm down a little! Besides, it'd be better if we saved the celebration for latter, when my lessons are over and I am officially a member of Houkago Tea Time"

"Speaking of which, where is Ritsu?" asked Mio.

"She said she was going to meet Sawa-chan for some matters of the club" responded the polite blonde.

Out of the blue, the door burst open and the drummer of the group entered the class.

"Guys, you won't believe what Sawa-chan told me! We've been selected to participate in the contest our city will hold during its annual festival! Isn't that great? Finally, Houkago Tea Time's ultraviolet light will shine to a broader audience!" announced Ritsu.

"That's amazing" said the girls in awe.

"We should start the rehearsals as fast as we can. Not to mention that we have to choose the songs we'll play and do not forget—"

"Oh, Mio! Stop worrying about everything! We have plenty of time to think about this stuff. The contest will take place in August and it's only May. For now, the only thing we should be thinking of is this delicious chocolate cake" said Ritsu, grabbing a piece of cake.

"I wish I was as impulsive as you, Ritsu! Too bad I want to think beforehand about serious matters like that!" said Mio sarcastically.

"You little—" responded Ritsu, throwing a strawberry that decorated the cake on her best friend.

"RITSU! Prepare to die!" shouted Mio as she spilled a cup of tea on Ritsu.

It didn't take long for the rest of Houkago Tea Time to join the girls, throwing cakes and tea everywhere.

Azusa watched them as they played childishly with the food. She was happy that she had finally found the courage to open up and was accepted by them. For the first time in her life, she didn't feel like a burden anymore. She was truly a part of a family that shared bonds greater than blood.

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><p>"I'm getting married"<p>

"And why should I care?"

"I thought you were my best friend, Sasuke"

"I wish you happiness with your soon-to-be-wife, even though I can't guarantee that. Do you want something else? You know, I have a lot of work here and you're wasting my time" he responded to the blond man in front of him, annoyed.

"Through all these years, I've always been by your side and I never asked a single damn thing. I've seen you at your worst and tried to soothe your pain, even when I had my own problems to worry about. I was there for you when you lost your family, I was crying with you when you gave your daughter away, I—"

"SHUT UP, NARUTO! You'll never know what I've been through in my life. You've never had the bonds I once had to feel my pain!" screamed Sasuke.

"Stop acting like you're the most unfortunate person in the world" said Naruto, making his best friend even angrier. "What happened to you was really harsh. But at least, you had some people that still cared for you. Back then, you were not as alone as you thought you were. You had me, Itachi and Sakura…"

After Naruto mentioned Sakura's name, Sasuke's face no longer seemed angry. Only hurt. Hurt for not having her in his life anymore. Hurt for destroying them both completely.

"… And now, you have almost nothing. You haven't talked to your brother for six years, you haven't seen Sakura since your child was born. I was the one next to you, supporting you, caring for you. But when it comes to me and my happiness, Mr. Sasuke is not interested. I'd expect you to be more of a friend towards me. After all, I used to be Sakura's friend as well but I was devoted to you, even though she was the one who really needed someone to share her pain with" said Naruto with saddened eyes, moving towards the door of Sasuke's office.

"If you wanted to, you could have done something like trying to fix all you have broken, but apparently you don't" he added before leaving.

Sasuke was alone in his office. Naruto's words irritated him to an unconceivable extend. Not because the blond was implying that he was a selfish jerk through them, but because they were the truth.

For fifteen years, he had been enclosed to himself. The only people he interacted with during that time were his best friend and his brother. He finished high school and university with excellent grades, but the unsociable attitude he had adopted made people avoiding him. Not that he minded. If anything, he cherished not being bugged by them. When his academic studies came to an end, he started working near his brother in their family's company. For someone who had never worked in his life again it would have been pretty tough to be adjusted into the routine of a company, but not for Sasuke. He devoted himself to his job not only because he wanted to make his deceased parents proud, but also because his life had completely no meaning anymore. Two years later, the two brothers were driven into a fight when the company suffered a serious economical trauma that leaded Itachi in quitting and Sasuke taking the full leadership. They did not speak to each other not even once since then.

Sasuke looked around him. His company's good name had been restored and he counted many achievements in the business field. But besides that, he had absolutely nothing. He didn't have any friends except Naruto; he never had a romantic relationship with anyone since he broke up with Sakura and his only remaining relative had not communicated with him for six years. His _only_ remaining relative? That was not true. Somewhere in Japan, there was a fifteen-year-old girl that was his biological daughter. A child he had never got to meet.

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><p>"Good morning girls! I was passing by and heard your laughter so I came here to say—… What the heck is going on here?" shouted a woman with glasses.<p>

"Sorry, Sawa-chan! We were so excited with the news about the contest that things got a little out of hand and, well, you see the outcome" replied Mugi with an innocent smile in her face that made Sawako's tense fade away.

"_She looks so much like her mother__ when she smiles"_ thought the woman. _"If only she had been alive."_

Sawako looked at the blonde girl sympathetically.

"If the cause of this trouble is the contest, I guess I'll have to forgive you since I've informed you about the event" she told the girls.

"Yey! I knew you would understand! Sawa-chan, you're the best!" exclaimed Ritsu as she squeezed tightly their teacher.

"That doesn't mean you won't have to clean all the mess you've created"

"It was too good to be true" whispered Yui to Azusa, who let out a small giggle.

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><p>After his argument with Naruto, Sasuke couldn't stay at his work any longer. He returned home, his friend's words echoing within his head.<p>

"_If you wanted to, you could have done something like trying to fix all you have broken, but apparently you don't"_

How could he "fix" what he had "broken"?

He entered his house nonchalantly. It was dark, without much furniture and lonely. Somehow, it represented perfectly his character and his life. He did not turn on the lights, as he preferred stay in that gloomy atmosphere that surrounded the room. Sasuke sat on the floor with his back touching the door. He rose his head up and closed his eyes. He recalled one period of his life when he was really happy. His parents were alive and he would be so close to his brother that they were almost inseparable. That didn't last for a long time, though. After the death of their parents, Itachi became colder and more distant towards him. He truly felt alone. But everything changed when he met Naruto and Sakura. At first, he thought they were both two annoying idiots that could do nothing but bother him. As the time passed though, he found himself loving them. Naruto had filled the empty space Itachi left in Sasuke's heart and Sakura made him feel a very strange sentiment that he had never experienced before. But he destroyed all the precious bonds he had because of his recklessness and his weakness.

He stood up. He had had enough already and he was definitely not able to bear more pain. All these years, he never dared to face his mistakes and tried to suppress his memories beneath a fake façade instead. He was going to start anew his life without regrets, and to achieve that he needed Sakura and their daughter beside him.

Sasuke walked towards his bedroom. He lit the lights and stared at his bed. A memory of _that_ night he had spent with Sakura came into his mind.

"_Sasuke-kun, I love you so very very much… Thank you for being in my life and for loving me back…"_

"We will be together again, Sakura… I promise" he whispered to himself.

He sat on the edge of the bed and reached for the nightstand. He opened the drawer only to find an old photo and some papers. Sasuke took the photo in his hands. It was a photograph from his childhood showing Naruto, Sakura and him playing outside his house. They seemed so joyful he couldn't even believe there was a time his life was full of so much happiness. He caress Sakura's figure with his thumb, remembering the beautiful smile her lips formed every time he looked at her that made him feel warm inside. Then, he left that small proof of him being happy once on the bed. Afterwards, he pulled out a bunch of papers. The sight of them disgusted him and the fact that he had signed them made things worse.

_Adoption._

Trying not to look at his name and his signature, he searched for the name of the woman who adopted his daughter.

_Kayano Akiyama._

He had to find this woman. He had to explain to his daughter the reason why he and her mother abandoned her. But what the girl's foster mother's reaction would be when she found out about Sasuke's plans?

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><p>"MIO!" screamed Ritsu in the middle of the night.<p>

Said girl woke up immediately and turn the lights on. The rest of their group (with whom they shared the same dorm) were still asleep, but after hearing her name called by Ritsu, Mio couldn't help but worry about her friend.

"Ritsu, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Oh… I… I just had a bad dream. Don't worry" responded Ritsu politely.

"But you screamed my name…"

"It was just a dream, really…"

"It was about me? Did I get hurt? Did I die or anything?" asked Mio.

"We were within a forest, all five of us. It was dark and we were afraid of getting lost. Suddenly, an opening appeared out of the nowhere and you took several steps towards it. It was a path that leaded outside of that forest and only you could follow it, but the rest of us would stay behind. I screamed because I didn't want you to leave" confessed Ritsu with a small blush.

"Ritsu, you're such an idiot" said Mio shaking her head "I would never leave you".

"Promise?"

Mio smiled at her best friend and hugged her.

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><p>Sasuke couldn't sleep that night. He tried to find as much information as he could about Kayano, but the only thing he discovered about her was her address. Unfortunately, she lived in Kyoto but that didn't stop him. The following day, he took the train from Tokyo to Kyoto, full of hope and anxiousness about what he was going to face. His lack of sleep was nothing compared to that awful headache that tortured him since the start if his journey. But he couldn't complain about that now. He was so close to finding his daughter that this pain seemed negligible.<p>

When he found the neighborhood where his daughter and her adoptive mother were supposed to live, his breathing became erratic. His hands were soaked with sweat and he could swear he had fever.

Sasuke stopped in front of a small white house. It seemed quite old and not too tidy. But still, it was there where his daughter grew up with someone who really loved her and presumably made her happy even though they were not related to her by blood. He walked towards the door bell. He took a deep breath, feeling his lungs getting filled with fresh air. His finger stood millimeters away from the bell, yet it couldn't press it. He closed his eyes and finally did it. A sound echoed in the house but Sasuke didn't get any response. He rang the bell again but the outcome was the same. Sasuke concluded that the woman was most likely working while the girl was at school. He turned around and was ready to leave that place, only to come some hours later when the woman would have returned, when he heard a voice.

"Who are you looking for, young man?" asked a sixty-year-old woman.

"Mrs. Akiyama Kayano. She's living here, isn't she?" responded Sasuke.

"Kayano died fourteen years ago" said the woman matter-of-factly.

Sasuke's expression changed and he looked at the woman with eyes wide open.

If Mrs. Akiyama was dead, where could his daughter be?


	3. Obstacles in our way

**A/N:** Hello my dear readers! First of all, I want to thank you for your reviews! Each one of them makes me feel wonderful! I am glad that you like my story, but I also am incredibly sorry for making you wait so long until the next update. Well, I was *cough* busy going on vacation with my family, then with my best friend, then in my grandma's village, so no time for stories. Meanwhile, I had to write my Glee fic for TotallyPucked, so the 3rd "Rewind" was delayed. Anyway, enjoy the chappie and don't forget leaving a review *w*!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto nor K-ON!

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><p>"Wha-What do you mean she's dead? How…? What happened to her daughter?" asked Sasuke.<p>

The woman looked at Sasuke with suspicion.

"Who are you? Why are you asking about Kayano's daughter?"

Sasuke lowered his eyes. The woman understood the identity of the young man.

"Come over my house. We need to talk" she told him.

.

.

.

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><p>"Here is me and Kayano, when we were ten. We used to be best friends" said the woman melancholically as she gave Sasuke an old photograph.<p>

"Kayano married at a very young age. I believe it was at eighteen. She loved her husband so much that she couldn't wait to start a family with him. As years passed, she craved even more to have a child but after making some tests, she found out she was barren. When she heard about her condition, she got really depressed. Her husband and I were by her side her all the time, but she didn't seem to get any better. Some months later, she asked for a divorce from her husband.

Even though she loved him very much, she wanted him to have a proper family with someone who could bear children. At first, he refused her offer and proposed to adopt a child together but after he understood that he couldn't do anything to change her mind, he gave up. Unfortunately, some days before signing the papers, Kayano's husband died of a heart-attack. Her pain from learning about her inability to have children was nothing compared to her pain from losing the man she loved. She barely ate, slept, got out of the house. She was like a ghost.

All changed, though, one day when she promised to herself that she would fulfill her husband's dream about adopting a child. When she became the legal mother of your daughter, it was like a miracle had happened within her. All those years full of pain were fading out and her only concern was that small creature. She envisioned herself bringing the girl up with love, watching her proudly when she graduated high school, being happy with her at her wedding… But they say that when people make plans, God laughs…"

The woman let out a chuckle full of sadness. Sasuke spotted a tear falling from her left eye. She wiped it quickly and continued her narration.

"When the baby was 8-month-old, Kayano started spitting blood. She was afraid that she was heavily ill, as she didn't feel well for several weeks. Her worst nightmares came true when she doctors said she had tuberculosis. For some reason, her reaction was not like the one when she found out she was sterile. She was rather optimistic and didn't let her illness get her down. I believe it was Mio that gave her hope to keep holding on…"

"Mio?" asked Sasuke. He suspected that this was most likely the name of his daughter, but this was the first time he had ever heard it.

"Your daughter. What kind of father are you? You don't even know your child's name?" said the woman with her voice full of scorn.

Sasuke lowered his eyes. It was true, he had never learned his daughter's until now, but it wasn't because he didn't care. Sakura's mother didn't want him to know anything about the child. He hadn't even had the chance to see the small creature he and Sakura brought to the world.

The woman understood his discomfort and went on with the story.

"A few days before she died, Kayano entrusted me the papers of the adoption. She asked me to go the baby to a good orphanage and hide the papers so they wouldn't find out the girl's biological parents"

"Why did she do that? Giving our child was unbelievably painful for both me and my former girlfriend. Why did she want to throw the baby at an orphanage instead of giving it to its parents?" questioned Sasuke, the tone of his voice slightly raised.

"She wasn't as selfish as you portrait her to be. She had her reasons. The day she visited your girlfriend at the hospital, she could see the bitterness in her eyes. Kayano said it was because she wanted to have her child with her, but she wasn't able to raise it. I think it was because of her age. How old were you when you had her?"

"Fifteen…" muttered Sasuke, looking away.

"Children that give birth to other children… Anyway, the reason she didn't want to reveal Mio's parents' identity was because if people from the orphanage knew about you, they would contact you and give you the baby. Kayano was aware that you wanted it back, but she also knew your inability to raise it. So she decided not to let the papers being found. I'm not going to judge if her decision was right or not, but that was the last thing she wanted from me and I couldn't do anything but respect her wish" said the woman, trying to make the man understand why things turn out this way.

They stayed silent for a long time. The woman took several sips of the tea she had made but Sasuke kept just looking it with a blank expression on his face. His initial fury about Kayano's decision died out when he understood her true intentions. But things could have turned out quite differently if she hadn't done it. Key word: _could_.

"Can I have the papers, please?" said Sasuke, barely audible.

The woman stood up and then went to another room. Sasuke was left alone, thinking about his next move. Mio was at an orphanage, so he could look for her there. But still, it would be awkward if he showed up all of a sudden, claiming her paternity. Yet, the girl had to know who her real parents were and that one of them could raise her now.

The man closed his eyes and let out a sigh. He had to make a decision soon.

"They are all yours. My role has come to an end. It's up to you now" said the old lady handing the papers to Sasuke.

Sasuke looked at them with the same disgust he did with his papers.

"May I ask the name of the orphanage where Mio is?" asked Sasuke, not looking at the woman.

"Sakura orphanage. It would be easy to find it. It's one of the most well-known orphanages in Kyoto" said the woman nonchalantly.

Sasuke's mind stopped at the name of the orphanage.

He knew the answer to his dilemma.

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* * *

><p>"Girls! Girls! As the leader of Hokago Tea Time I—Ouch! Mio! Why did you punch me?" exclaimed Ritsu, caressing an oversized bump that her best friend had just created in her head.<p>

Mio sighed at her friend's great expectations.

"We are all equal in that band, so please keep your leadership desires at bay. And by the way if someone had to be the leader then, that person is—"

"ME!" said someone who had just appeared at the door.

"Sawa-chan?" asked the band, surprised by Sawako's sudden appearance.

"Where the hell did you pop out from? What are you? A ninja?" asked Ritsu, receiving another bump in her head from her teacher.

Sawako coughed and then added a "watch your tongue" to the girl.

"Girls of Hokago Tea Time, may I ask you if you have decided the songs you will be playing at the festival?" questioned Sawako in a professional manner.

The girls looked at each other awkwardly.

Yui was the only one who dared to speak.

"Not exactly… But we will! We promise!" she said sweetly.

"Anyway, I have prepared some costumes for you. You can come over my atelier to see and try them" proposed Sawako.

All girls happily accepted, but Mio seemed less enthusiastic.

"Mio, aren't you coming? The costume I made for you is one of the best I have made. I have used all my imagination and creativity and I have to say it's tailor-made for you"

"No, thank you. I'll pass. Last time you said that, I looked like a fantasy of a perverted Japanese businessman with a very dark specific fetish, so I'd much rather exercise my playing in bass than being forced to wear the costume" responded Mio flatly, not leaving any space for further conversation.

"You just can't understand how talented and creative I am" whispered Sawako, pretending to be hurt by Mio's words.

"Mugi, Ritsu, Yui and Azusa, let's go!" commanded the older woman and said girls followed her outside the classroom.

After the door closed, Mio rolled her eyes and then smiled. They were weird and some -_many_- times acted stupidly, but they were her family. The only family she had in her life and she loved them all dearly. A tear was about to escape from her dark eyes, but she didn't let it.

"_Time for practice_" she told to herself, reaching for her bass.

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* * *

><p>Pastel petals from the blossoming cherry trees were decorating the orphanage's court. The man closed his black eyes and brought to his mind a scene taking place in a place similar to that before him.<p>

_Early May._

_Sixteen years ago._

_A young couple sitting on a bench._

"_Sasuke-kun, I'm pregnant"._

He opened his eyes immediately after recalling Sakura's broken voice and the tears staining her eyes moments later.

There was no room for sad memories and past mistakes.

The future had to be bright. He deserved it. _They_ deserved it, after passing so many years full of grief and loneliness.

Sasuke walked towards the building where the orphanage was housed, walking past several girls of various ages. It was strange, yet exciting, thinking that a girl in that place, maybe even one of them, was his daughter.

Well, there were some annoying girls that squealed and ogled at him, but he hoped that Mio was more mature than them. Even in his thirties, Sasuke still was a stunning man that almost every woman would fall for, much to his annoyance.

He accented the steps quickly and set off to find the director of the orphanage.

In a few minutes, he would know about (and maybe see) his daughter.

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.

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"Sawa-chan, they are really good!" exclaimed Yui, admiring the dress Sawako had made for her.

"See? I told you I am talented" responded Sawako, full of herself.

"Wow, even I have to admit that I agree with Yui. You did a pretty good job, which is quite impressive after taking into account your previous pieces" said Ritsu, before receiving another bump from her teacher followed by a "you spend too much time with Mio".

"Say, do you want to try them?" proposed the woman with the glasses.

The girls happily accepted.

"I'm going to my office, to check if we have any news for the festival. I won't be late. If I see the slightest damage when I come back, you are dead. Ok sweethearts?" said Sawako with a dangerous smile on her face.

The girls gulped. Their teacher was pretty scary some times.

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* * *

><p>Sawako moved towards her office whistling, while something got her attention. A very <em>very <em>outstanding man. She fixed her hair and glasses quickly and proceeded into approaching him.

"Are you looking for something?" she asked kindly.

"Where can I find the director or at least someone from the administrative staff of the orphanage?" Sasuke asked impatiently.

"I am the supervisor here. My name is Sawako Yamanaka. How can I help you?"

"My daughter is here and I want to take her back" he responded.

"What is the name of your daughter?" she asked sweetly, smiling.

"Akiyama Mio" he said back.

Sawako's smile disappeared.

"Could we talk to my office, please? The case is kind of complex…"

Sasuke sighed and followed the woman. Meeting his daughter wouldn't be as easy as he initially thought…

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><p><em>Review, or Sawa-chan will kill you. She's a ninja, I tell you!<em> _Jk, but R-E-V-I-E-W! ^_^ _

_Love ya, -UAP_


	4. True Colors

**A/N:** Hi there! First of all, I would like to thank all my wonderful reviewers who care enough for the story to leave a feedback. Seriously, thank you from the bottom of my heart for leaving comments for my story :).The fourth chapter of Rewind is here and the time of the great meeting has come! What will happen...? Read and find out! And don't forget to leave a review! :D

P.S: Heck Yeah! Sasuke is back in the manga! My life is now complete. Or at least semi-complete, till SasuSaku becomes canon.

P.S 2: Gosh... Summer is officially over... Gwah... I hate autumn. Correction: I hate school that starts in automn. Life is so unfair :(.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, K-ON! nor the lyrics of the song "True Colors" that I used.

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><p>.<p>

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"How can I be sure that your claim about being Mio's father is true, Mr. Uchiha?" asked Sawako in a serious tone.

"And how many times do I have to repeat myself and retell you my story? Mio's mother and I had a teenage relationship. During our first year in high school, I got her pregnant but we were unable to keep the child, so we gave it for adoption to a widowed lady. Mio's foster mother died when Mio was still an infant, and a friend of Kayano Akiyama brought her here, without leaving any kind of proof that she was adopted" said Sasuke, annoyed by Sawako.

"I perfectly understood your story, but the reason I fail to believe it is that I have no valid proof that all you said is true" Sawako tried to explain calmly.

Sasuke was on the verge of cursing, but he was taken aback when he thought that it would count negatively if he wanted to persuade her.

"What about the papers I showed you? Aren't they enough?" questioned Sasuke, highly irritated.

"Still, I can't be one hundred per ce—"

"Do you have children?" asked Sasuke with his face dropped down.

Sawako looked away, saddened by his question. She didn't get to make a family of her own, as she dedicated herself to the orphanage and her niece.

"No…" she answered bitterly.

Sasuke did not speak for some time. A thousand thoughts passed through his head during the silence that filled the room. He was probably some meters away from his daughter, yet he could not see nor meet her. It had never crossed his mind he would have this kind of problem when he decided to meet her. He would not give up though. Not now.

"You know, it's even worse when you are parent of a child you have never seen. It's ironic. I learned my daughter's name today, but still I don't know the color of her hair, her eyes. I have never heard her laughing. I don't know what her first word was or when she made her first steps. I have never heard her call me 'father' and say that she loves me. All because I failed giving her a proper family" said Sasuke, silently and with sorrow lacing his voice.

"She has long ebony hair and your black eyes, especially the expression" said Sawako, admitting her mistake.

Sasuke's head rose up upon hearing her words. The sadness that previously filled his eyes was replaced with hope.

"Your daughter is in the music room. She's practicing alone. She's the bassist of Hokago Tea Time, a band she has formed with her friends. She is a great, talented girl" Sawako told Sasuke.

"Can I meet her?" asked Sasuke, hanging from Sawako's words.

The woman with the glasses responded positively by closing her eyes and nodding slightly.

"You have to know, though, that Mio is quite shy and doesn't open up easily. Approaching her might be difficult."

Sasuke showed a sign of understanding.

This time, he would meet his daughter, no matter what.

* * *

><p>.<p>

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.

"Ne, Sawa-chan is late, isn't she?" said Ritsu, sitting on the floor while her hands supported her head.

The rest of the girls nodded, without looking at Ritsu as they were busy.

Yui was trying to make some improvements to Azusa's clothes so they would be more cat-like, Azusa had to withstand Yui's tortures and Mugi was admiring herself in the mirror.

"Hey, why don't we sneak in the cafeteria? Sawa-chan doesn't seem very eager of coming back soon" proposed Ritsu.

Yui and Mugi accepted with delight, but Azusa didn't accept automatically.

"I think we should go back to the music room and practice with Mio senpai, than leave Sawako-sensei's atelier without permission just to eat at the cafeteria" said the younger girl.

"Too bad… I heard that today, the cafeteria serves cakes with strawberry syrup and chocolate cookies" added mischievously the girl with the headband.

Azusa sighed in defeat.

Letting Ritsu know her weaknesses was a _very_ bad move.

* * *

><p>.<p>

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Sasuke found the music room easily, following Sawako's instructions. With each step he took, his heart would beat faster and faster. The distance between Mio and him sank even more, making him feel his stomach tighten. For a brief moment he thought about quitting and leaving the orphanage without telling Mio the truth, but the idea left his mind immediately. He would not run away from his problems like a coward again. He had lost everything once and he was not going to repeat all the wrong actions and decisions he had made throughout his life.

And there he was. Outside the music room. Separated by a thin wall from his daughter. All these years, he tried to forget about his life and the precious people he had lost, but now everything came into his mind like a black-and-white film. He swallowed and caressed the doorknob with his left hand. He wanted to put some more pressure to it and open the door, but his palm wouldn't move. As if it didn't respond to his commands.

His eyes closed firmly and felt like his mind went completely blank. The doorknob was twisted a bit, but a sudden sound interrupted Sasuke's action.

_You with the sad eyes…_

A female voice was heard singing from within the music room.

_Don't be discouraged, oh I realize…_

The sound of a bass could also be heard in the background.

_It's hard to take courage…_

Sasuke's curiosity rose. The girl singing with that angelic voice could be Mio?

_In a world full of people you can lose sight of it all…_

The man opened the door slightly to find out if his assumptions were true.

_And darkness still inside you make you feel so small._

Sasuke couldn't see her face. The girl, though, had silky, long, black hair. She kind of reminded him of his mother and her wonderful hair he used to play with as a toddler. The girl was tall for her age and quite slim, while her delicate hands were holding an instrument –probably a bass.

_But I see your true colors shining through…_

The girl's voice sounded so sweet and calming. All of the anxiety and nervousness existing within Sasuke's heart disappeared, as if her song was the remedy to cure all of his fears.

_I see your true colors and that's why I love you…  
><em>

A flashing memory of a young and innocent Sakura telling him how much she loved him because he was simply himself appeared in Sasuke's mind after hearing the lyrics of the song more closely.

_So don't be afraid to let them show your true colors…_

Is that what he did wrong and thus had to watch his life falling apart? If he acted a little braver than he did fifteen years ago, he might not have to deal with this situation now. But everything happens for a reason, he reminded himself.

_True colors are beautiful like a rainbow. _

The refrain if the song had ended, but the girl kept on playing the bass. The low sound of the instrument resembled heartbeats. The heartbeats of a young couple in love. The heartbeats of a woman giving birth to her first child. The heartbeats of a father meeting his daughter for the first time.

Out of the blue, something interrupted Mio's playing.

"Ohh, where did my pick go?" she exclaimed annoyed.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and then a thin triangle piece of plastic caught his glimpse. The little thing had grounded few feet away from him, making it easy for him to catch it. Maybe this tiny triangle was the perfect excuse to approach Mio.

"Are you looking for this?" he asked the girl as kindly as he could, giving her the pick.

Mio, who had still her back turned to him, turned around surprised by the foreign male voice she had just heard.

'_Her facial features resemble an __angel's'_ thought the raven-haired man. He couldn't believe that someone as beautiful as her was his child. Her big eyes were a perfect combination of his and Sakura's, while her slightly parted lips could not have been better shaped even if they were made by the most talented sculptor of the whole world.

"Thank you…" she muttered embarrassed and a little afraid of the stranger standing in frond of her.

Sasuke understood almost immediately Mio's discomfort. He looked away for some seconds with his hand caressing the back of his head, then decided to make his introduction.

"I suppose being alone with someone you don't even know their name isn't really appealing, so…" he stretched his hand at her as a means of greeting "I'm Uchiha Sasuke. Nice to meet you…" he paused, encouraging her to tell him her name.

Under normal circumstances, Mio would have been long gone, screaming for help. But there was something in that man's eyes that made her trust him entirely. She was not able to describe the feeling, but she could tell there was a strange chemistry between them.

"Akiyama Mio" she responded smiling, giving him her hand.

"Nice to meet you Mio" he continued his previous phrase, even though in his mind he added _'Mio Uchiha'_.

"So, I see you play the bass. And I have to say I'm enchanted by your playing and voice" he told her, proud of his daughter.

"I've been playing the bass for three years now and I'm pleased to hear that you like it. As for the voice…" she turned a bit red before going on "well, I believe that when you make something with love, you get it right" she said hugging her precious bass.

"I know what you mean…" said Sasuke smirking.

Several minutes had passed since any kind of word was heard in the room. Sasuke tried continuously to find something to strike up a conversation, but he didn't find anything. He took a glance at Mio, looking for something on her that could be a topic of discussion.

"Are you left-handed?" he asked, hoping that this would be an interesting topic.

Mio's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Yes! Are you too?"

"Uh… Yes.. and no…" he admitted rolling his eyes. "I'm ambidextrous."

"Wow, that's something… Personally, I can't use my right hand as well as the left" she grinned sheepishly. "They say that most left handed people are born to stressful births…"

"Was that true in your case?" he asked her, feeling his mouth filling up with hypocrisy.

"I don't know… I have never met my biological parents…" Mio's voice turned sadder and lower.

Sasuke looked away again and closed his eyes. He wanted to tell that girl the truth but he simply couldn't. He had done the same mistake with her mother fifteen years earlier, but now he was a man, not a boy scared of the new life a baby would have brought to him.

"Mio…" he started, fighting to find the correct words.

"Have you ever played an instrument?" she asked trying to change the subject.

"Ahh.. I used to play the guitar when I was at your age" he replied surprised by her sudden action.

"Guitars have many similarities with basses. I know several things about guitars, to the point I'm teaching a girl here about it. Do you want to try to play the bass?" she asked kindly.

"I don't know… I haven't played for so many years, let alone I don't have a clue about basses…"

"I can help you if you want!" she insisted.

"Hand it over" he said, after seeing the excitement in Mio's eyes.

Sasuke took the instrument in his hands, and Mio placed the digits of his right hand on the tabs and his left hand on the appropriate strings.

With Mio's instructions, Sasuke was able to play a small melody. Mio praised his playing and was more than willing to show him how to play more melodies on bass.

Sasuke couldn't refuse her offer. He loved seeing Mio smiling. He looked so much like her mother when her lips were stretched upwards and her eyes shone with happiness.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

.

Sawako was still at her office. Her entire focus was now on Mio. Did she meet Sasuke? How did she react to the news? What was she going to do from now on?

Sawako had formed a special bond with the members of Hokago Tea Time. She was the 'mother-type' to all of them, and by that time, they already concerned themselves as family. But, Mio had to face her past now, and make some serious decisions.

She rose up from her chair and went to the music room.

As she got closer to the music room, she could hear some bass playing and Sasuke's and Mio's voices talking and laughing happily. She let out a sigh of relief and opened the door.

"Mio, I'm so glad you get along with your father" she said smiling.

Mio's happy features disappeared immediately from her face. All the happiness that filled her eyes was replaced with anger, sadness and betrayal.

The girl looked puzzled at Sasuke who had an apologetic look in his eyes and then at Sawako.

Tears were making their way down her face and unable as she was to handle the situation, she ran away from the music room.

Sasuke knew there was no point in chasing her after. By the time she saw the pain in her dark pools that were full of joy moments earlier he understood that he failed again in making her happy.

He caressed Mio's bass gently and looked outside the window. The future didn't seem so bright now…

* * *

><p><em>Poor Sauce :( He doesn't deserve a treatment like that. At least not in my fic, because in the manga... well... he deserves much worse : But insane or not, we can't help but love him, can we?<em>

_A/w, R&R!_

_-UAP_


	5. Deus Ex Machina

**A/N** Hello, dear readers of 'Rewind'. Long time no see, huh? (^_^')... I'm terribly, _terribly_ sorry that I haven't uploaded anything for about half a year, but high school is (urgh!) exhausting and my lazy fingers refused to type anything. But, at last, here it is: the fifth chapter of 'Rewind'. Yay!

Enjoy and please ignore any grammatical or spelling errors :D

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or K-ON

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><p>Mio ran as fast as she could, heading towards her dormitory.<p>

"_My… father?"_ she thought, while the tears making their way down her face blurred her vision.

When she entered the room, she fell on her bed in a fetal position. Her whines grew louder and her hands clenched her shirt. Mio could have sworn that her mind was incapable of thinking anything at that moment. She still hadn't completely realized what had just happened. A handsome guy pops up out of nowhere, starts talking to her, they play bass together and then it's revealed that he is her father? No, it couldn't be true. It was just one of Ritsu's stupid pranks, right?

Mio didn't want to believe what had just happen to her life, but she did know that sooner or later she had to come in terms with it.

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"I'm terribly sorry… I didn't know that Mio had no clue—" said Sawako apologetically. She truly felt responsible for Mio's negative reaction. She cursed her big mouth for that.

"It's fine… I should have told her the truth from the beginning…" responded Sasuke nonchalantly, not in the mood to hear her apologies, his eyes never leaving the cloudless blue sky.

"Still, had I known you didn't—"

"Just drop it, please" he interrupted her immediately, a slight anger filling his voice.

Sawako looked down and then left the room in silence. She thought of going to Mio and explaining the whole story of her parents to her, but having known the girl for a good amount of years, she knew there was almost no chance in convincing her at the moment.

"Well done, Sawako. You've screwed up… again" she told herself sarcastically. She could only hope that things would get better eventually.

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"Those pancakes were the best thing I've ever tasted in my entire life. Truly Heaven must feel like this" announced Ritsu while she was making her way out of the cafeteria along with the girls.

"Ritsu-sempai, you say the same every time we leave the cafeteria after a meal or a snack" responded Azusa.

"This time I mean it. And it's not like you didn't enjoy it either…" said the girl with the headband in a teasing tone that made Azusa turn red.

"Oh! And did you see his eyes? They were so dark and passionate and…! I'd give anything to have him 'adopt' me" exclaimed a girl, making some other girls standing around her swoon.

"Hey Ichigo! What are you talking about and you are all so… excited?" asked Ritsu, spotting the girls were about to faint.

"Oh, Ritsu! Haven't you heard? A man came at the orphanage this morning and he was the epitome of handsomeness. He was even cuter than the protagonist of 'Koizora'! Kyaa!" replied Ichigo, almost drooling at the memory of him. The girls around her sighed blissfully.

"Heh, no big deal" concluded Ritsu, never having been interested in men. "Hokago Tea Time, let's go!" she commanded in a professional manner.

"And he had black spiky hair and burning onyx eyes?" asked Mugi with a silly smile on her face. Ichigo only nodded and Mugi joined the fangirling squad.

"Hey princess, we have to go back to Sawako in case you forgot" said Ritsu as she pulled Mugi by her wrist, with the later having her eyes adopting the shape of hearts.

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.

.

Several moments passed after Sawako had left the room, but Sasuke didn't even seem to notice. During that period of time, he did nothing but gaze outside the window, trying to forget what he had just done. Mio probably hated him now and he was to blame. _'Why do I have to hurt those I need the most in my life?' _he thought again and again. First, Sakura, with his irresponsible actions and his fear of being a parent. Then, Itachi, with his need to break the already shaky bond between them that reminded him of his former family. Following, Naruto, with his bad temper and ungratefulness towards the last person that stood by his side. And last but not least, Mio, the daughter he had chosen to abandon and years later decided to meet again. He was not worth her love. In fact, he was not worth the love of none of them, but that moment Mio's feelings towards him were all that mattered.

Sasuke walked towards the door, finding no reason to stay at the orphanage any longer. His steps felt heavier than the normal. He had not thought things would be so difficult, nor that Mio's reaction would be so negative. Maybe that was his punishment for making his loved ones miserable. Maybe he wasn't meant to give Mio the happiness he was willing to. Maybe, in the end, he was unable to give anyone happiness.

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.

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The members of Hokago Tea Time, except for Mio, reached Sawako's office lazily, prepared to listen to her barking about leaving her atelier without her permission. But this time, something about her felt odd.

"Oh, hello girls. What brings you here?" she asked with a forced smile on her face, as a means of hiding her anxiousness about something the girls were totally unaware of.

The girls stared at her with surprise. Not only did she not yell at them, but also seemed to have forgotten about their supposed meeting at the atelier.

"Sawa-chan, you are not going to shout at us because of our leaving your atelier in order to eat pancakes in the cafeteria?" asked Yui, naively as always.

Ritsu sighed and hit lightly Yui's head, as if that would make her understand that she had just reminded Sawako their little truant. Despite being a good and honest person, Yui could be such an airhead sometimes.

Yui's statement though, didn't affect Sawako's behavior. In fact, she didn't even seem to pay attention to the girl's words. With her façade still in place, she told them that they were free for the rest of the day and that they could go. The girls exited excited, but Ritsu started getting really suspicious.

"Is everything all right?" she asked concerned.

"Well, of course!" replied Sawako.

"Ok then… I guess I'll get going" Ritsu told her teacher, turning her back at her. "By the way, have you seen Mio around?" she added.

"…Not really" said Sawako, trying to conceal her lie.

"Ok… Bye" was the only thing Ritsu said before leaving, not entirely convinced by Sawako's words.

'_What in the world could have happened?'_ she thought, marching towards the music room.

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.

.

Meanwhile, Mio was still in her dormitory, pouring her heart out, without even knowing why anymore. It was as if the tears kept falling down her face on their own. She had always been a person that rarely cried hard, and when she did, it was under certain circumstances. She had always tried to be collected with her emotions, but this time she was just unable to keep her feelings at bay.

Hardly had Mio stopped her crying, when someone entered the room.

"There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere! I thought you would be at the music room. I guess we were not the only ones being naughty today" said a voice in a teasing tone.

"Ritsu…" whispered Mio as she tried to hide her face from her friend.

"Hey, what's wrong?" spoke Ritsu after sitting on her best friend's bed. Then, she gently caressed Mio's back, encouraging her to talk about what bothered her.

"Someone came at the orphanage today. A man…" started Mio.

"Heh, and you are like this because of him? Looks like love _really _hurts" said Ritsu misunderstanding Mio's statement.

"He… is my father" Mio continued, broken.

"I bet lots of girls would want him as their 'daddy' too" stated Ritsu with a dirty smirk.

"Quit fooling around, Ritsu! He _is_ my father. My biological father. That man approached me, tried to be friendly with me and hadn't it be for Sawako he would have continued deceiving me" said a very angered Mio.

Ritsu stared at her as if she was insane. So that was the reason for Sawako's earlier behavior. These new developments would not only affect Mio, but also the people close to her. Seeing her friend a wreck, Ritsu put her arms around her. Mio hugged her back and started sobbing on her chest.

"Everything is going to be fine" whispered Ritsu as she kissed Mio's forehead gently. Then, she proceeded to weep the tears away from her beautiful obsidian eyes.

A subtle smile appeared in Mio's lips.

"Are you sure that what he says is true?" asked Ritsu softly.

"Positive. Actually, it was Sawako that said that, not that man. _He_ said nothing about it" replied Mio, feeling the tension inside her building up again.

"Ritsu, would you do me a favor?" asked Mio politely.

Ritsu nodded in approval. "What do you want?"

"I would like to be alone for a little, so—" started Mio, only to be cut by Ritsu.

"I understand. Will you be ok, though?" said Ritsu while opening the door.

"I will" responded the black haired bassist.

Ritsu closed the door behind her slowly and stood against it. She couldn't bear seeing Mio like that. But then again, what could she do?

Ritsu started marching once again, but this time, towards the court. She had to talk to someone.

.

.

.

There was one thing that Sasuke hated vehemently since childhood: fangirls. Girls from various ages would still pine after him with the hope that one of them would catch his eye. Ironically, Sakura had been a fangirl herself for some time, but after she became closer with Sasuke, she got rid of her previous shallow self that only managed to annoy her beloved 'Sasuke-kun'.

Sasuke couldn't understand how girls that were more than a decade and a half younger than him could possibly see him as a potential boyfriend. As long as age is concerned, he could have easily been their father. Hell, he even _was_ the father of a girl of their age; but luckily, Mio was far more mature than all of them.

After having to pass through a court full of underage fangirls, Sasuke found himself out of the orphanage. He didn't really want to leave that place without speaking to Mio one last time, but it couldn't be helped. It was then, though, when he spotted a wooden bench near the orphanage's gates. He slowly moved his body towards it and sat on it. His elbows were on his thighs while his palms supported his head. Since he had so successfully blown up his chance to get close to his daughter, Sasuke had to reason to remain in Kyoto, which meant that he had to go back to Tokyo soon. The mere thought of returning to his previous miserable life whilst knowing he had lost everything again, was enough to depress him some more.

"Mind if I sit next to you?" said a voice that belonged to a girl.

Sasuke let out a sound of annoyance. The last thing he wanted now was a fangirl trying hopelessly to seduce him by 'comforting' him.

"Go away" he said rigidly, not even bothered to raise his eyes to see her.

"Gee, why do you have to be so rude? Thank God, Mio hasn't inherited your attitude" said the voice again.

Sasuke raised his head in surprise.

"What did you just say?" he asked the girl, his dark eyes fixed to her hazel ones.

"You are Mio's father, aren't you?" responded the girl with a question.

"How do you know?" he asked out of surprise and disbelief.

"Mio is my best friend. Between her sobs, she told me that a man came out of nowhere and Sawako declared that he was her father. It wouldn't have been difficult to understand who this man was. Not everyday do men over whom the majority of girls goes gaga come here. But now that I observe you, I don't know what do those lolitas see in you. You're not as special as they described you" Ritsu told Sasuke, unimpressed by him and his looks.

Sasuke sent her an offended look. He was glad she wasn't another obsessed chick, but telling someone you just met straight to the face that you find them average-looking, if not ugly? She sure had a lot of nerve.

After the girl's silly remark, his mind returned to the first part of her answer. She was someone close to Mio. Maybe she could…

"Anyway, I'd like to help you with Mio. Right now, her opinion on the matter is pretty negative and I don't think it's going to change any time soon" said Ritsu.

Hope filled Sasuke's eyes again. This girl's generosity was something remarkable, for sure. Of course, he knew that she was doing that only for her best friend and not for him, and a part of him felt grateful that Mio had around her dear friends and people who loved her.

"What do you suggest to do, then?" he asked.

"Well, if you told me your story, I might be able to explain it to Mio. From the bits and pieces Mio told me about your meeting, I suppose she doesn't really know the background of her birth –something that can easily lead her to incorrect assumptions and make her hate you completely."

Sasuke found the girl's reasoning logical, but still that was a sensitive topic to talk about.

Seeing his uneasiness, Ritsu sat beside him on the bench.

"Things weren't smooth, huh?" she asked, looking down.

"When I was fifteen, I got my girlfriend pregnant. We were freshmen in high school and having a child was definitely not one of our priorities. We didn't want to abort it, though, just because it was something unexpected. On the other hand, we couldn't raise it either. So, we concluded that the best solution was to give it for adoption, trusting it would have a better life than that we would offer it. When Mio was born, a woman named Kayano Akiyama adopted her and took her here, in Kyoto. Unfortunately, she died early and Mio ended up here".

There was a pause before Sasuke continued speaking.

"After Mio's birth, I never saw my girlfriend again. I became a bitter and cold person; a shadow of my former self. I kept pushing away the only people close to me, my brother and my best friend, with all my power. When I decided to meet Mio, I though she would be having a normal life with her adoptive mother. I was surprised to hear that Kayano had already passed away and Mio was in an orphanage. I tried to get close to her, but as it seems I have this incredible ability of severing bonds before even building them"

Ritsu was silent for a while. For some, odd for her, reason, this man's story touched her. Someone could say that she even _sympathized_ with him.

"I will do my best. I can't promise you anything, but I will really do my best" she said, standing up. "I'm Ritsu, by the way".

"Uchiha Sasuke" he responded, introducing himself.

"Well, Sasuke, I hope it works out for you and Mio. So long" she waved and then went back in the orphanage.

Maybe Sasuke's return to Tokyo would have to wait for a while.

.

.

.

A light knock was heard at the door, followed by a soft 'May I come in?'.

Mio stood up from her bed and wiped away all of her remaining tears.

"Yes, Ritsu." she responded.

Said girl entered the room, her eyes searching for her best friend's.

"Feeling any better?" she asked Mio, approaching her.

"I think so… Yes" nodded Mio.

"I'm glad" said Ritsu, pinching Mio's cheek.

The bassist let out a pained grunt and a grin spread in Ritsu's face because of her friend's reaction.

"Same old Ritsu! I wonder, will you ever stop being an annoying tease?" said Mio, caressing her red cheek.

"Hmm… No!" said Ritsu playfully.

Mio chuckled.

'_It seems she is ok now. This is my chance!'_, thought the girl with the headband.

"Huh, I was thinking… Maybe you should talk to your father—"

"No" was all that Mio said, her voice stern and emotionless.

"Come on, why are you so—"

"I said 'no', Ritsu!" Mio yelled.

Ritsu stared at her with her eyes wide-open.

"I have no interest in talking to a man that threw me in an orphanage so he could live his life without the distraction of a child! I've spent my whole life in this damn place, thinking I was all alone and my parents had long passed away. I have never felt how is to be loved by a family, because mine decided that I was a burden –or, simply, trash- and I didn't deserve—"

"Mio, please…"

"—even being alive. I should be thankful that they didn't kill me after I was born and just abandoned me in this hideous place!" continued Mio, with sarcasm lacing her last comment.

Ritsu couldn't recognize Mio anymore. She sounded so cruel and irrational, that Ritsu could hardly believe she was standing in front of her best friend and not some stranger.

"Things aren't as horrible as you present them to be. If you just talked—"

"I have nothing to do with this man. I loathe him with all my might. It would have been so much better if he had never come here and let me know about his identity" responded Mio, unbelievably irritated at this point. "I honestly felt better when I believed my parents were dead; I though that despite their fate, they loved me, at least. But I mean nothing to these monsters that gave me birth. I wish they would just die!"

Mio's last sentence brought tears to Ritsu's eyes, but she didn't seem to notice.

Within seconds, Ritsu raised her hand and slapped forcefully Mio's cheek, the one she would playfully pinch some minutes ago.

"How can you be such a damn egoist?" she shouted.

"Ritsu…?"

It was now Mio's turn to stare at her best friend in surprise.

Despite being opinionated and always ready for a quarrel, Ritsu had never slapped Mio (or any of the other girls) before.

"I'm so sorry…" confessed Ritsu, almost automatically. Before she started speaking again, she wiped her watering eyes. "I understand your anger, but never –_ever_- wish your parents' death. You might hate him now, but at least that guy is still alive. You still have the chance of getting close to him and having a family again, unlike me. Think about what I told you, despite if you agree with it or not".

Ritsu left Mio staring blankly at the door, as she exited without any other word.

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><p><em>AN: How was it? I'd love to hear your thoughts and I promise I'll try to upload soon! =D_

_-UAP_


	6. Disappointment

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I don't own K-ON. I don't own Sasuke and his duckbutt hair.**

**Please excuse any spelling and/or grammatical errors.  
><strong>

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><p>Sasuke hadn't felt like this in a long time. Hope had finally managed to find a place within his empty heart. Everything around him –the sun, the trees, the bright sky- seemed so beautiful, so peaceful. All because <em>she<em> had decided to give him a second chance.

He had been pacing back and forth on the pavement for about twenty minutes. She would be coming at 10 am, but he was so excited (and a little bit anxious) that he had arrived there almost half an hour before their appointment. He still couldn't believe it. Sawako's call a few days ago, telling him that Mio agreed to meet him the following Sunday was something he wouldn't even dare to dream, let alone expect.

Sasuke looked at his watch nervously. His left wrist was trembling and so did his right. He should be calmer, he knew it, but the anxiousness of accidentally blowing up his -probably last- chance to reconcile with his daughter was enough to drive him crazy. After taking some deep breaths, Sasuke succeeded in emptying his head of the bad thoughts. Mio would be there in no time.

Suddenly, a slim feminine figure appeared from the orphanage's gates. Her long black hair gave away her identity. Sasuke stood there tall and motionless as she approached him. With every step she took, his heart beat faster and faster. She stopped a few inches in front of him, her dark obsidian eyes looking directly into his onyx ones. None of them could utter a word.

Sasuke opened his mouth to speak first, but Mio cut him off before saying anything.

"Look, I want to make something clear before you get too optimistic about my decision to meet you. I'm not here because I want us to be a happy family or because I forgave you. I'm here because of Ritsu. Also, don't expect me to call you 'father'. To me, right now, you are nothing but a stranger" she said emotionlessly.

Sasuke looked down and let out a sigh. That wasn't quite what he had in mind.

"I understand and accept your terms. I'm not asking you to love me or forgive me immediately. I just want you to hear to my story before you judge me and my actions" he said firmly.

Mio was content with his reaction. He was more considerate than she had originally thought.

"I guess that's fair" she responded. "How about we take a walk while we talk?"

A subtle, gentle smirk appeared in Sasuke's lips.

.

.

.

"First of all, I want to tell you that you were not product of a rape or a one-night stand".

"It's okay. I never… thought something like that…" said Mio a little embarrassed, not only because of the nature of his statement, but also because that scenario _had _actually crossed her mind. After all, she had heard many stories like that from the girls in the orphanage, so the probability of her case being the same wasn't low. A part of her felt relived for not having the same past as them.

"Your mother and I used to be close friends before we became a couple. She had always been infatuated with me and even if I didn't admit it at first, I held some special feelings for her too. As soon as we entered puberty, we started dating. When we…" Sasuke trailed off.

Mio sensed his uneasiness. His eyes traveled away from hers and his face got redder. They continued walking down the road for a while before Sasuke went on with his narration, after taking a deep breath.

"When we consummated our relationship, you were conceived. We were only freshmen in high school back then".

Mio kept on walking next to him without saying a word.

"You can imagine the hardships we had to go through. Apart from the bullying we had to endure –especially your mother-, we had to decide about our future. We didn't want to abort you because you were the result of an unexpected pregnancy, but we couldn't give you the life we wanted to either. I still remember the anger and the hatred within your mother's parents' eyes when we told them the news. They wanted to get rid of you because it would be 'humiliating' for their daughter to carry an illegitimate child and be a teenage mother. Your maternal grandmother almost forced your mother to have an abortion despite the high risk of her even dying in the process. We ultimately persuaded them that the best solution would be giving you for adoption".

"What did your family say about this?" asked Mio.

"My older brother condemned me for my irresponsibility and agreed about the adoption" answered Sasuke quickly, hoping she would not ask more questions about his family.

"And your parents?"

"My parents died when I was eight" he said bitterly. His eyes looked so saddened and pained. Remembering his parents never gave him peace. It would only bring him more sorrow.

"I'm sorry for your loss" said Mio smoothly. She had been too cruel with him. Not only he was an orphan as well, but he had experienced the pain of losing his parents at that tender age.

They walked in silence for a brief period of time, each one tortured by their own thoughts. Everything around them was bright and cheerful, but the two were too lost within their dark worlds to even care.

"The one that managed everything about the adoption was your grandmother. Your mother and I never actually contacted with your adoptive mother. Personally, I never got to meet her, and to be honest I never got to meet you either, until recently. Your grandmother didn't let me see you because, in her mind, I didn't deserve it. Also, your adoptive mother took you with her shortly after your birth, so I didn't have any other chance to see you other than the day you were born. That day was also the last time I saw your mother. I don't know her whereabouts since then" continued Sasuke.

"So, how was your life after that?"

"Worse than it used to be. The only people I would interact with were my brother and my best friend, Naruto. I devoted myself to my studies, and later to my job, believing that I would forget about all that had happened in my life. Soon, I became an empty, soulless shell" responded Sasuke. "But one day, I decided that it was time to win back what I had lost once. I came here in Kyoto with the hope that your adoptive mother would let me be a part of your life. I was surprised to hear she had long died and you were in an orphanage. I tried to find you and, well, you know the rest…"

Sasuke's narration stopped and Mio shook her head in affirmation. Her mind was fixed to his story. Sasuke could tell she was confused just by looking her eyes. He couldn't blame her, though. This kind of information wasn't exactly an everyday thing.

"Can we sit on a bench? I'm a little tired from this whole…" she straggled to find the right word to express her feelings "…thing".

Sasuke sat on the nearest bench and Mio followed suit.

.

.

.

He needed her to say something –anything. No matter what her reaction would be, she had to let him know about what she thought.

"All these… feel so unreal… so weird" he heard her speak out of the blue.

"You don't believe—"

"That's not what I meant! It's just that no one ever told me a single thing about my past and now, all these…"

Mio let out a sigh. It was too much for her. She felt like she would collapse at any moment. She had to remain strong. Running away from reality wouldn't change anything.

"Still, if you wanted me, you would have kept me" stated Mio after a long period of silence.

Sasuke looked her straight to the eye. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. She didn't understand a word of what he had told her, did she?

"Mio, I told you before; we couldn't raise you. We were—"

"Excuses!"

Sasuke's eyes gave away his irritation. She was much more stubborn than he expected.

"Your mother was at your age when she was pregnant! Would _you _be able to cope with a situation like that?" he shouted at her.

"Maybe, if I had someone trustworthy to lean on. If I didn't have a coward beside me" Mio responded, glaring.

Sasuke tried to repress his anger. Being insulted by his own daughter wasn't something pleasant at all, but he had to let it pass by. It wasn't like what she said was a lie, either.

"Okay. I admit it. I was the one to blame. I was the coward that screwed up everything and destroyed your mother's life—"

"Stop calling her my 'mother'! I'm as sick of her as I am for you. You are both at fault for what happened to me. The only difference between you and her is that she probably got over the trauma of abandoning her child and moved on with her life. She's most likely married now, having her own family with 'legitimate' children. In contrast to her, you are here, whining about your past and how you want us to be a family again. With parents like that, I'd rather continue my previous life as an orphan instead."

Her words hurt him a lot more than she had aimed for. He stared at her eyes, not saying a thing.

He spoke again, this time without any emotion on his voice.

"I'm disappointed, Mio. I'm really disappointed that you can't understand me and that my words fall into deaf ears. I thought you were different. I'm leaving Kyoto tomorrow and I promise I'll never bother you again."

With that said, Sasuke turn his back to his daughter and left her alone.

"I'm…" she whispered as he disappeared from her eyes.

She could not finish her sentence.

.

.

.

"How did it go?" Ritsu asked her best friend with eagerness to hear about her meeting with her father.

Mio fell on her bed without saying a thing.

"I guess it didn't go the way you'd like" said Ritsu, sitting next to Mio.

"I made him angry; he told me that he was disappointed in me and he left"

A small tear fell down Mio's eyes. Ritsu saw it, but didn't make a comment about it. Instead, she petted Mio's head affectionately.

"Everything will work out at the end. I'm sure of it" she told Mio, completely honest.

"Ritsu…"

Mio smiled at Ritsu. Even now, she was by her side.

"Mio-chan…"

"Yui?"

A brown-haired girl appeared before Mio and Ritsu.

"Sawa-chan told us that you were going to meet your father today…"

"Ah… Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you anything. You had to know. You have always been by my side…" apologized Mio, wiping away her tear.

"No need to apologize, Mio-chan. We love Mio-chan no matter what and we will never leave Mio-chan's side" said Yui, embracing Mio tightly.

Mio couldn't stop the tears running down her face. Soon, Yui and Ritsu joined her.

"This is not time for tears, ladies! This is cake-time!" exclaimed a blonde girl. She was holding a big vanilla cake, whose icing was forming the letters 'HTT'.

"Mugi? !" the three other members of the band said together.

"What? I just like spending my spare time in cookery classes instead of crying. Now, take a fork and take a bite of my newest creation. After you taste it, I would be more than pleased to hear about your feedback."

All four girls broke into laughter after Tsumugi's statement.

.

.

.

_Here I am. _

_My hands are trembling. I cannot feel my legs. My lips are sealed. I can hardly make any noise. I'm standing in front of your door. I'm afraid to even knock. _

_How will you respond? With pity? With anger? With love? With hatred? I don't know. I cannot read you anymore. Maybe I never could. _

_Yet, I have always thought you as a part of me. I cannot explain why, but I believe you and I share a common destiny. _

_Destiny._

_Such a childish word._

_But I'm not a child anymore. _

_I'm brave and courageous now._

_I knock._

_No response from you._

_I knock again._

_Same result._

_I leave._

_Maybe you and I are not meant to be. _

_Maybe we never were._

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><p><strong>AN:** You, guys, have the patience of saints. Seriously. I'm so ashamed of myself. Procrastination is such a bad, bad thing-_). Anyway, here is the sixth chapter of 'Rewind'. I hope you liked it^_^). Please, bare with me and my _notsofast_ updates... See ya soon! -UAP


	7. Savior

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I don't own K-ON.**

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><p>"So… He's leaving today, isn't he?"<p>

Mio twitched, but did not respond immediately. Her eyes traveled from her friend to where her father stood the first time she saw him. A nostalgic expression was written all over her face. Then, her eyes dropped down to her precious bass, which she had been caressing ever since Ritsu's question. She could still feel the touch of Sasuke's hand from when she helped him play the bass during their first meeting.

"I guess so…"

Ritsu had hoped that her question would stir an emotion within Mio and make her admit that she needed her father into her life and didn't want to lose him. Mio, though, continued being as controlled with her feelings as always.

"…Since there is nothing to keep him here any longer" continued Mio.

"You have no right to talk, young lady. As far as I remember, you were the one that kept pushing him away while he tried desperately to approach you" Ritsu told her. Her eyes shot Mio a piercing look. It wasn't mean or judging, but it was enough to intimidate Mio.

"Whatever, Ritsu. I'm not in the mood to talk about this right now" said Mio, trying to avoid the conversation.

Ritsu respected that and didn't push the matter any further, even though she wanted Mio to understand and fix her mistake.

"Sorry for being late! Yui-senpai and I could not find our guitars and spend half an hour searching for them" exclaimed Azusa as she walked into the music room along with the two other members of the band.

"No need to apologize, Azusa. Did you find them?" asked Ritsu.

"We did, eventually. Yui-sempai remembered she had brought them with her in the cafeteria to drink tea in order to reconcile because she thought they had some sort of relationship issues lately" responded Azusa.

All four girls turned to face Yui with a puzzled expression. The cloudcuckoolander of the band beamed and ran one hand through her hair. Typical Yui.

"Girls, I command you to start your rehearsal this instant" said a voice that belonged to no one else but…

"Sawa-chan!" said the five girls taken by surprise. They had been suspecting for a long time that Sawako secretly possessed some kind of ninja skills, but now they were sure.

"Stop popping out of nowhere and scaring us, will you?" yelled Ritsu.

Sawako didn't react at first. Then, she slowly took off her glasses and threw Ritsu a frightful glare. The girl gulped loudly.

"I said _this instant_!"

It wasn't long until the girls grabbed their instruments and started playing the first song they were rehearsing.

.

.

.

On his way to the station, Sasuke's fight with his inner daemons ignited. A part of him wanted to see Mio for the last time before he disappeared from her life for good, but his mind reminded him of her feelings towards him. She had made her decision and he had to respect it. After all, if that was what Mio wished, he would gladly step out of her life to make her happy. Maybe that was the only kind of happiness he was capable of providing her.

And after he was gone, what would she do? Would she pretend that nothing happened and continue her previous life? Would she still remember him and her hatred towards the people who brought her to life? Would she regret it?

Sasuke didn't say that he was disappointed in her in order to hurt her or just because he was frustrated at the moment. He really was. Her preoccupied and prejudiced behavior and the way she responded to his confession proved that Mio did not meet his expectations as far as maturity was concerned. Sure, she had gone through a lot the past days, but she should have not been such an egoist. He admitted his mistakes and knew the pain of having no parents well, but Mio didn't seem to care. It was all about her.

Sasuke still love her, though. How could he hate his own child? No matter how much she loathed him, she would always be his beloved daughter. And that was the worst part. If he didn't love her, if he didn't care, it would be much _much_ easier to give up. But now, he simply couldn't

He soon found himself in a very familiar neighborhood. Now, it was his decision to make.

.

.

.

_Fuwa-fuwa time!_

_Fuwa-fuwa time!_

_Fuwa-fuwa time!_

While Mio played the melody of the song, her thoughts flew to Sasuke's departure. He was going to leave her once again. She couldn't blame him, though. It was partially her fault that things turned out so bad. She should have not thrown so harsh words at him because of her momentary anger. Contrary to what she made him believe, she understood his story and that her biological parents were not ready to have a child. She still felt hurt by the fact they didn't consider keeping and raising her themselves as a potent option, but she knew that her -_their_- life would probably turn out worse than the current, eventually.

It was too late for an apology she didn't know if she really meant in the first place. There was nothing she could do. And that was what irritated her the most. The only thing she was able to do was watching her father walking out of her life not long after he had appeared. She could only stand there doing nothing and just wait—

"Damn" she exclaimed in the middle of the song as she felt a string from her bass break. She must've put much force to it while she thought about Sasuke.

"What's wrong, Mio-chan?" asked Mugi out of worry.

All Mio did was to show the girls her bass. It didn't take a scientist to understand why she had stopped playing.

"How did you manage to do that? Even an amateur isn't so reckless, much less a veteran like you!" said the drummer.

"Oh, shut up, Ritsu!" responded a furious Mio.

"Looks like you'll have to change it immediately, if we want to continue the rehearsal" said Azusa.

"And to think that I changed all the strings just before the rehearsal!" sighed the bassist.

"I'm off to the music store to get a new one. Tell Sawako I'll be out for a moment" she continued.

"You sure? Are you going alone?" asked Ritsu worried about Mio's safety. The girls from the orphanage weren't allowed to go anywhere beyond the gate without permission, but Sawako didn't mind the HTT girls going out as long as it was about something that had to do with the band.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll be back soon. Don't worry."

.

.

.

"It's 1500 Yen"

Mio gave the cushier the money and exited the store examining the new string for her bass. With her attention shifted on the item, she didn't notice the boys that followed her ever since she left the music store.

"Well, well, what do we have here? A little girl that slipped out of the orphanage without telling her teachers? Such a bad, bad girl" Mio heard someone say.

She looked around and saw three boys who had about the same age as her. Judging from their clothes and manners, she concluded that they were most likely delinquents so she tried to ignore the previous comment and walk faster towards the orphanage.

"Tsk, look what you did, you idiot! You scared the poor girl and now she's running away!" said another boy with a fake concern in his voice.

"Come on, don't be afraid, baby. I promise, I'll take good care of you" hissed the former boy into her ear.

Mio's face got redder and she paced even faster than before, until someone grabbed forcefully her arm.

"Please, let me go" she pleaded, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Oh, you'll have to beg a little more than that, baby!"

Mio didn't know how did she end up like that, but soon she found herself lying on her back in a nearby alley. Two boys pushed her arms down so she was unable to move her upper body. The third guy had settled himself between her legs and rubbed her thighs. His touch sickened her. She tried to kick him, but he overpowered her.

"P-please, let me g-go…" she managed to say, sobbing.

"Come on, Hiro! Be faster. After you're done, it's my turn" said the boy on her left.

"You'll have to wait, buddy, coz I'm getting her next" said the other boy.

"Help! Someone help me!" screamed Mio at the top of her lungs.

"Be quiet, you bitch" spat the guy on top of her.

"Leave her alone!" a new voice said. A voice strangely familiar to Mio.

"What the—" was the only thing Hiro could say before he was punched straight to the face. The force of the punch pushed him away from Mio, whose eyes were fixed to the stranger who had come to rescue her.

"You…" she whispered as if she had seen a ghost.

The man looked at her with worry. He had arrived just in time.

Without wasting time, one of the boys that kept Mio's arms down let go of her and kicked the man in the stomach. Mio seized the moment and punched the guy on her right in the face, giving him a bloody nose. She escaped his grip and stood up, running towards the man who was clenching his stomach in pain. The boy who had just hit him kicked him again, but this time in the head. The man fell down, losing consciousness.

"What's going on here?"

Several people had gathered in the alley, curious about what happened.

"Shit! Let's go" commanded Hiro and the boys disappeared in a blink.

Mio couldn't care less about the boys at this point, as she was sick worried about her savior.

"Father, can you hear me? Please, please talk to me! Father, please! Father!"

.

.

.

'_Where am I?'_

Sasuke looked around trying to figure out the place he was. Could it be…

'_A hospital? How?'_

A sharp pain on his left temple reminded him the reason why he ended up there. Across the room, he could make out Mio's figure. Her smooth hands cupped the front of her face. From the sounds she was making, it was obvious she was crying. Did she do that for him?

"Mio…" he said quietly.

Mio raised her tear-stained face and looked at him astonished.

"You're awake! Thank goodness!" she exclaimed as she pulled him into a hug.

Sasuke was taken by surprise by her sudden reaction. Somehow, this reminded him of a similar event during junior high.

"_Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried out, embracing the boy tightly. Warm tears fell on his flesh._

"_Sakura, you're hurting me" groaned Sasuke._

"_Oh, I'm sorry…" said the girl, pulling away. He already missed her warmth. _

"_I was so worried about you" she continued, sobbing._

"_Accidents happen during P.E., Sakura" he responded, not wanting to see her like that. _

"_Still, your injuries are not that light. You could have died."_

"_You're overreacting." _

_Sakura's rosy lips formed a subtle smile._

"_Sasuke-kun, you were so brave to save Kiba from getting hurt by that ball."_

_She pecked him lightly on the cheek._

"_It… was nothing" he said, a slight redness visible on his face._

"Sorry… Am I hurting you?" asked Mio, a bit embarrassed.

"No…" he said, even if it did hurt a bit. He didn't want to let her down, though. It was the first time she had shown a sign of affection towards him and he didn't want to ruin it.

Several seconds later Mio pulled away from the embrace.

"Did those boys… do anything weird to you…?" he asked worriedly.

"Thankfully, no. You came just in time!" she responded.

Sasuke let out a sigh of relief.

"How… how did you get there, you know, to the alley?"

"I was coming to see you. I know I promised I wouldn't bother you again, but I couldn't leave without seeing you one last time" he replied in all honesty.

Mio felt tears falling down her face once again. She was not worth her father's love. After all those things she had said to him, he was still willing to come back and try to see her again, not to mention he put himself in danger in order to protect her from these boys.

"Why…? My behavior towards you was worse than bad. I've been so mean to you and yet, you…" he caressed her small hand with his and she stopped talking.

"Because I'm your father; and parents love their children no matter what."

Mio's lips curled up in a soft smile.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p><em>AN: Wow! A fast update! I'm amazing, aren't I? [/sarcasm]. Anyway, here's the seventh chapter of 'Rewind'. Hope you liked it (^_^)! Please, excuse any grammatical/spelling errors. I'd also love to read your comments about the current events in the story! :D_

_-UAP_


	8. Progress

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I don't own K-ON!.**

* * *

><p>"I'll take a <em>gâteau au chocolat<em>. What about you?"

"Just a coffee. No milk, no sugar."

The waitress who took their order bowed and left.

"Thank you for bringing me here. I shouldn't have asked you to, in the first place. 'Monde Sucré' is the fanciest patisserie in Kyoto and consequentially the prices are quite steep" said Mio in a sort of apologetic tone.

Sasuke only smirked. He was happy to see that his initial guess about her maturity was false. She was really a humble and grateful person.

"Ever since you mentioned it, I couldn't help bringing you here. I could see how much you craved it. As far as the financial part is concerned, don't worry about it" he replied.

Mio smiled gleefully.

There had been three weeks after the incident outside the music store and the relationship between Sasuke and Mio had taken a positive route. As soon as Sasuke left the hospital, Mio apologized for her cruel behavior and admitted that she wanted to have a closer relationship with him. Sasuke couldn't believe in his ears. He happily accepted and the two would meet almost every day.

Mio had started opening up to him. She felt comfortable talking with him about her life, her thoughts and dreams. Sasuke, too, didn't feel nervous around her anymore. They could talk to each other without awkwardness and the ice between them was long broken.

Another waitress approached, this time holding a disk with what Mio and Sasuke had ordered. She placed the contents of the disk on the table carefully. Mio thanked her politely. The woman smiled uncomfortably to her before leaving.

"I guess she mistook our relationship for something else…" stated Mio, after watching the waitress' reaction.

"Well, we don't exactly look like father and daughter. I mean, our age difference is quite small compared to normal parent-children ages" explained Sasuke.

Mio nodded. Even if they actually looked alike in appearance, the short age gap between them made almost unbelievable the fact that she was his daughter.

"Mhmm… It's delicious!" Mio exclaimed after taking a bite of the cake. "Wanna try some?"

"I'm not really into sweets" responded Sasuke. Truth was he strongly disliked sweets even as a child. He could still remember how Sakura desperately tried to feed him ice cream as a means of getting him into liking sweets. Needless to say, all her efforts were fruitless. Whenever she succeeded in putting some small portion of ice cream into his mouth, he spat it almost instantly. What a bitter person he was!

"Come on, just a bite!" she insisted with her spoon pointing at him. "Pleaaaase? For me?"

Sasuke sighed and took the spoon.

"You're just like your mother."

He swallowed the little piece of cake as fast as he could so that he would feel as little of its taste as possible.

"How was it?" asked a curious Mio.

"Too… sweet" he replied with a face of disgust.

"Don't tell me…" Mio teased him.

"You said I'm like my mother…" said Mio while drawing small circles with her spoon on her plate. "But you've never talked about her. What was her name? What did she look like? What kind of person she was?" asked him, eager to know about the woman that gave birth to her.

Sasuke was taken aback by her question. He didn't expect her to ask about her mother—not after she had accused her of living a carefree life without giving a damn about her daughter. He hesitated a bit. He had not talked about Sakura for a while and that made it more difficult.

"Her name was Sakura Haruno" he told her with a nostalgic look in his eyes. "It suited her. She was like a personification of spring. She had two vivid green eyes and pink hair" he could have let out a chuckle if it wasn't for the sadness he had to endure by not seeing those bright eyes and odd hair in fifteen years.

"Really?"

"Yes. Believe it or not, her hair color was natural" he told Mio, understanding her confusion. "She wasn't a really confident person, but she was passionate and loving. She had a short temper, yet she was sensitive and caring. When she was younger, she thought she had a big forehead and that bothered her a lot. Eventually, she grew out of it and she came to love it instead. She was the most beautiful girl I have ever seen…" he confessed. His expression was heartbreaking. Mio could see how much he longed for her.

"Was she your first love?"

"And only."

"So you were each other's first kiss?" she asked, imagining her parents' romantic story.

"Well, I was her first kiss and, in a way, she was mine too" he responded, his cheeks turning slightly red.

Mio gave him a questioning look.

"My first kiss was an accident. A misplaced elbow made Naruto fall on me and our lips touched. Sakura was so angry with Naruto that she beat him black and blue" he said with his face crimson.

Mio chuckled at his embarrassment.

"No need to be embarrassed! I had my first kiss with my best friend too" she confessed.

Sasuke looked at her surprised.

"School play. Ritsu and I played Romeo and Juliet, so…" she explained.

"Aa…" nodded Sasuke.

Silence occurred for a brief period of time.

"…Can I have another bite of your gâteau au chocolat?" asked the man timidly.

Mio smiled at him.

"Go ahead!"

.

.

.

* * *

><p>"Haven't you heard? The handsome man that visited the orphanage a month ago is Mio's father!"<p>

"No way!"

"But he looked way too young to have a daughter in her teens."

"Maybe he was underage when he had her."

"Lucky Mio!"

"Actually, _poor_ Mio. Now, she doesn't stand a chance being his girlfriend!"

'_Neither do you'_ thought Ritsu as she passed by the group of girls that were gossiping about Mio.

Ritsu started getting annoyed by the current situation. Everyone in the orphanage would talk about Mio and her father. Mio didn't mind it that much, mainly because she hardly spent her free time there anymore. Whenever she had some spare time, she preferred going out with Sasuke rather than staying in the orphanage. And that got on Ritsu's nerves more than the gossip.

"Hey" she waved as she walked in the music room.

Mugi, Yui and Azusa greeted her as well.

"Mio hasn't come back yet, has she?" she asked, knowing the answer.

"No, she's still out with her father" responded Mugi.

'_Right. When she's with him, time stops for Mio'_ muttered Ritsu under her breath.

"Did you say something, Ricchan?" asked Yui naively.

"Nothing. Now that Mio isn't here we can't rehearse" said Ritsu.

"But we _can_ drink a cup of tea until she's back" proposed Mugi. Ritsu and Yui agreed instantly. Azusa, on the other hand, not so much.

"Why should we always drink tea and eat cake whenever we can't have a rehearsal? We can always practice so that we give our best self in the rehearsal and, later, in the performance" exclaimed Azusa, fed up by her comrades' carefree behavior.

"As if you don't like it, you little hypocrite" Ritsu teased her.

Azusa made a pouty face, but eventually sat on the table and drank tea along with the girls.

"Hi. Sorry I'm late" said Mio while entering the music room.

The pleasant expression on her face made it obvious that she had a great time with her father.

"No problem, Mio-chan! Come, sit with us! Do you want some tea?" said Yui innocently.

"No, thank you. I'm full" responded the black-haired girl, sitting next to Azusa.

"So, did you have fun, Mio-chan?" asked Mugi.

Mio's face lit up. There was no need for an answer, as Mio's expression covered up the previous question, but Mio answered anyway.

"Yes! My father and I get along really well! Today, he took me to 'Monde Sucré'!" she said enthusiastically.

" 'Monde Sucré'? That's the most expensive pastry shop around…" said Ritsu, astonished. What a show-off Sasuke was!

"I know! I told him that he should have not taken me there, but he insisted!" Mio told her friend, her enthusiasm never ceasing.

"That's great. Girls, enough with the talk. We have to rehearse. We have a concert in two months, in case anyone forgot" said Ritsu making her way to her drums.

The girls noticed the sudden change in Ritsu. She wasn't really the type to initiate the rehearsal. If anything, she had always been the slacker of the band.

"Huh, are you okay, Ritsu?" Mio asked her.

"Fine" responded Ritsu with a tone that contradicted what she had just said. "Let's start."

.

.

.

* * *

><p>The next day, Mio and Sasuke met again. The remaining members of Hokago Tea Time were again in the music room, practicing even without Mio, as Azusa had proposed the day before. Something was bothering Ritsu again and that didn't go unnoticed by the girls. Her eyes and her expression were mirrors of her inner world. Her friends could see the sadness, the anxiousness, the nervousness, the anger and the disappointment within Ritsu. But, what was the cause of her frustration?<p>

"I don't feel well. I'll go to my dorm for a while. Go on without me" said Ritsu, walking out of the music room.

"But, Ritsu-sempai…" exclaimed Azusa.

"Don't mind me" said Ritsu closing the door behind her.

"Ritsu-chan…" muttered Mugi. She couldn't leave her friend like that. She had to do something about it.

"Yui-chan, Azusa-chan, I'll go to Ritsu-chan. Don't worry" said Mugi before leaving.

Yui and Azusa looked at each other without knowing what to do. So many things happened in such a brief period of time.

.

.

.

* * *

><p>"Ritsu-chan, may I come in?" asked a voice as sweet as honey.<p>

Ritsu wiped her few tears quickly and replied with a broken 'Yes'.

The girl with the blond hair entered Ritsu's room and closed the door slowly. With a few steps, she found herself near her chestnut-haired friend. She pulled her in a tight hug and Ritsu couldn't contain her tears anymore. The strong leader of Hokago Tea Time had never been so vulnerable before with the exception of the day her parents died. Mugi caressed her hair softly, trying to calm her down. Seeing Ritsu crying like that broke her heart.

"It's because of Mio, isn't it?" stated Mugi.

"We're losing her, Mugi. We're losing her…" responded Ritsu, who had stopped crying but her tears still visible on her ivory skin.

Mugi dwelled on Ritsu's words. She had been feeling herself that Mio was now a different person, as she had a parent by her side. Her case was not lost, unlike theirs.

"I'm not jealous of Mio because she has her father and is not an orphan, like us" said Ritsu, surprising her friend. "I'm jealous of Sasuke because he has become the most important person in her life and she doesn't care about us anymore."

Mugi looked down, finally understanding what Ritsu meant.

"We have been there for her for ten years. Ten damn years full of pain and struggle. Until one day, a man pops out of nowhere and becomes the number one in her heart. Where had he been when Mio woke up in the middle of the night because of a nightmare? Where had he been when Mio was sick and needed someone beside her all the time? Where had he been when Mio secretly cried when no one was around? He was anywhere but there. But Mio replaced us with that man, who had been hating at first, within a month" said Ritsu pained.

"That man is her father, though…" said Mugi, pointing out the reason why Mio became attached to him.

"Still, she shouldn't have crossed us out of her life without second thought" responded Ritsu, finally breaking away from Mugi's hug.

The blue-eyed girl smiled at her gently.

"Mio still loves us. She's just excited because she has a father after living her whole life without having a single relative in this world. I'm sure that if we talk to her she will try to balance out her time and the way she expresses her feelings towards the ones she loves" she said sweetly.

Ritsu smiled back at her.

"Mugi-chan! Ricchan! Are you in there? Mio-chan is back! Come to music room, please!" Yui's voice was heard behind the door.

"Let's go!"

.

.

.

* * *

><p>The three girls entered the music room nonchalantly. Mio was sitting on the table where they usually drank their tea instead of standing with her bass on her hands, ready for rehearsal.<p>

"Mugi, Ritsu! You came! Could you sit with me for a while? I have something to tell you" said Mio. Her tone was not pushy at all, but her words urged the four girls to do as she said.

Ritsu felt her feet turning into lead. Something bad was bound to happen. She felt it. She sat on the chair that was in front of Mio's and waited for her announcement.

"Okay, I'll tell you what I want to say in brief. I think that's the best way to say it…" started Mio.

Ritsu felt her heart pounding faster than ever.

"My father asked me to live with him in Tokyo" declared Mio.

Those ten words were enough to shatter Ritsu's heart in a million pieces. Ten years of devotion were erased by ten words.

"…And what did you say?"

* * *

><p>AN: Uhhhhhh! I hatehatehate final exams! Thankfully, they're coming to an end next Wednesday. Geometry be damned [/rant]. Here is Rewind, chapter 8! I hope you liked it! Some Mitsu and Ritsumugi (does that portmanteau couple name even exist?) fanservice, Sasuke and his dislike for sweets and a shocking announcement! What was Mio's answer to Sasuke? Read and find out in the next chapter!

-UAP


	9. My answer is

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I don't own K-ON!**

* * *

><p>Mio sighed at Ritsu's question.<p>

"I haven't answered him yet. I told him that I needed some time to think about it. It's a very serious decision that I couldn't make spontaneously" she responded.

The girl with the headband felt relieved for a moment, but that didn't last long as the fact that Mio hadn't said 'yes' instantly didn't mean she would say 'no' eventually.

"When are you planning on telling him?" asked the brunette drummer.

"Whenever I feel sure about it. He didn't tell me to answer his request until some fixed date" said Mio.

"What are you gonna do Mio-chan? Will you leave us?" asked Yui, saddened by the news.

"I honestly don't know. I don't want to leave you —you are precious to me; but I don't want to lose my father, either. Not now that I have finally found him."

"Whatever Mio-sempai's decision is, we will love Mio-sempai as much as we have always loved her!"

"I know, Azusa. Please, don't cry…" said Mio in a soothing manner, wiping the younger girl's tears away.

"Azusa is right. We will never stop loving you, no matter if you're here with us or far away" Ritsu told her best friend.

It didn't take long until all five members of the band were crying their eyes out.

.

.

.

"Sasuke informed me about him asking you to move in with him in Tokyo" said Sawako to Mio.

"Why did he do that?" asked Mio suspicious by her father's action.

"He will need some papers from here to get full custody of you in case you decide that you want to live with him. Also, he wanted me to tell you to think carefully about what you will do. He doesn't want you to make a decision that will hurt you eventually, even if that is deciding to go with him. He wants you to be happy, with or without him" explained Sawako.

Mio nodded. She felt warm inside from Sawako's words. Sasuke really loved her enough to put aside his own desires and letting her do what she wanted to, as far as his proposal was concerned.

"Have you come to a conclusion yet?" asked the older woman.

"No" answered Mio, looking around Sawako's office. Her restless eyes were proof that she was anxious.

"The problem here lies in that both choices can make you happy in different ways, but choosing either of them will bring you the pain of not having chosen the other. You will never feel completely fulfilled whether you stay here or follow your father in Tokyo. The 'what-ifs' will be always in the back of your mind" stated Sawako, seeing Mio's confusion.

Mio admitted that Sawako's words hit the mark. It was surprising how much the woman understood the girl's problem.

"There have been more cases similar to yours here. Many girls had the chance to be adopted but didn't want to leave their friends behind. Some of them were adopted in the end, other stayed here. What makes your case a little more different than theirs is the fact that the man who wants to adopt you is your biological father and you have a closer relationship with him, which makes your decision even tougher" explained the woman. "Also, I can help thinking about the girls and how they will feel if you…" she trailed off. She didn't want to guilt-trip Mio, even though she wanted her to stay in the orphanage.

Mio's dark grey eyes almost watered. The girls would be devastated if she left and she knew it. On the other hand, Sasuke would be hurt too if she chose not to live with him. For a moment, she felt like she was some kind of a tragic hero who had to choose between to choices that they would both hurt them in the end.

"Sawako, may I go now? I have to think about what I'm gonna do…" said Mio, saddened.

Sawako didn't refuse her request and the younger girl left her office without any other word.

.

.

.

There had only been four days since Sasuke's proposal, but for Mio felt like ages. She couldn't stop thinking about the consequences of her final decision. She knew that either way she would hurt the most precious people in her life, and that was even more unbearable than the pain she would come to face herself.

After getting out of Sawako's office, Mio found herself in the yard. She looked around and saw several girls playing, chatting, having fun with their friends. A nostalgic expression appeared on her face as she remembered the day she met Ritsu.

Mio was barely five years old and she had never had a friend before, until one day a new girl came to the orphanage. Both her parents were dead and no relative was willing to take her under their wing. Rumor had it she had a younger brother who was already adopted, but she couldn't keep contact with him. Besides her pain, he girl had always been strong and confident, something that Mio always lacked. Even though Mio admired Ritsu for those traits she had, Ritsu was the one to approach her. Shyly at first, they started spending time together and their relationship bloomed into a deep friendship. Later, Yui and Mugi joined them as well, and lastly, Azusa.

Out of the girls, Azusa was the only one —besides Mio— whose parents were not dead. That, though, didn't mean that things were easy for her. Azusa's parents were abusive and they would beat the little girl over the most trivial things. Bruises and scars marred the girl's skin, but she tried to hide them because if someone found out, she would be beaten ten times worse than the usual. Fortunately, some neighbors understood the situation in the Nakano household, called the police and Azusa was taken away from her parents. It had been a few years since she entered the orphanage and she felt far better than she ever did in her home.

The sky was orange with some velvet violet hues. The sun would be setting in some minutes. Sakura Orphanage looked so peaceful and euphoric. And Mio just couldn't leave it.

.

.

.

It was already dark outside when Mio returned to her dorm. She had spent the whole afternoon outside, observing how life went on in the orphanage. She was sure about her decision. She wouldn't leave—she _couldn't_ leave. That was her life and she was not willing to change it. She was aware of the negative impact her choice would bring to her relationship with Sasuke and the pain that it would cause him, but he was the one who told her to choose what made her happy. Staying with her friends was what she needed the most. Of course, she loved her father deeply and wanted him to be a part of her life. A part of her was still tempted to follow him, but that was the best solution to the problem. Or, that was what she wanted to believe.

When Mio entered her room, she found Ritsu sitting on her bed. The brown-haired girl looked calm and relaxed, opposing to her state of mind during Mio's declaration. The bassist walked towards her and sat next to her friend. They stayed in silence for a long time. Words felt so superficial right now. It was as if the girls shared some kind of intellectual communication. Somehow, Ritsu knew about Mio's decision, yet she didn't exactly seem content with that.

"Think again about it" said Ritsu seriously, breaking the silence.

That was not something Mio expected from Ritsu. So basically, Ritsu finds out about Mio's choice, without her telling a single thing to anyone, and instead of crying out of happiness she tells her to rethink her decision?

"What do you mean?" Mio asked her, confused.

Ritsu's hazel eyes met Mio's obsidian ones.

"You shouldn't give up your chance to be with your father because of us. I wouldn't let that happen. Yes, it would be difficult at first, but the future before you is bright and hopeful. You'd be a coward if you chose to stay here because you don't want to change your current life and because you're afraid of the new one you are offered. You'll end up regretting staying here and, as your friend, I think it to be my duty to prevent you from doing the biggest mistake of your life" told Mio the drummer.

"Ritsu, you don't understand. I'm—"

"Mio, I know you far too well to be persuaded by your words. Your eyes tell me everything and whether I like it or not, they confirm what I'm saying."

Mio's look traveled away from Ritsu's gaze. She didn't respond to her best friend's comment, as the later could see underneath her façade. Was she really the coward Ritsu described? She didn't know anymore.

"You said you couldn't make your decision spontaneously. Don't do it" said Ritsu before getting out of the room.

Mio was left alone once again, lost within the dark side of her thoughts.

.

.

.

"Judging by the fact that you wanted to meet me, I suppose you have made up your mind about my proposal."

"Yes" Mio replied to her father.

Sasuke waited for her response with anticipation. Even thought the environment of the restaurant he had chosen to have dinner with his daughter was warm and calming, he started to feel uneasy and uncomfortable. His hands trembled and his breathing had become uneven.

Mio's lips parted slightly.

"My answer is…"

.

.

.

"Did you tell him?"

"Yes…"

"How did he react?"

"How would you react if you were in his shoes?"

"Can't say I'm surprised."

"Oh, Ritsu. What if that was a mistake?"

Ritsu placed her arms around the girl who was lying next to her on her bed.

"If that was your final decision, then it was right. Don't worry. Everything will work out."

Whenever Mio lost all hope, Ritsu was there to remind her that _everything worked out in the end_. And now…?

"I hope you're right."

"Trust me" whispered Ritsu.

"_My answer is…"_

"… _I'm coming with you."_

* * *

><p><em><em>A/N: Woot! Final exams are over! Jeez, it had been a long month! Now, summer time! Ahem. So, Mio finally answered to Sasuke's proposal. And she's leaving, or is she... ? I have to admit that my initial intention was to split the chapter about Mio's answer in two (the first chapter would end in the restaurant scene), adding some filler scenes so that the chapters wouldn't be too short. But I would be a heartless bitch if I ended yet another chapter with a cliffhanger, so I decided to cut out the unnecessary scenes and make one chapter instead. The chapter, though, turned out to be the shortest I've written for 'Rewind', but it would get boring and off topic if I kept the filler scenes.

Oh! What do you think about the image I've used for 'Rewind'? :D The last line says 'It's never too late', in case someone can't figure it out.

Andddd, please review! Seriously, a review is the best gift you can offer to an author. After all, we don't write our stories for ourselves; we write them for you :)

-UAP


	10. Departure

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I don't own K-ON! . I don't own the song 'Songbirds'.**

* * *

><p>"I want to pass my last week here as if nothing is going to happen."<p>

Yui, Mugi and Azusa protested to Mio's request. Between their sobs, they told Mio that they could not pretend that everything would be normal when they knew they were going to lose her. Mio looked at them sympathetically, but without taking back what she had just said.

The music room was filled with the sound of weeping. Mio told the three girls about her decision to go to Tokyo with her father the day after she told Ritsu. Surprised and unbelievably hurt, they tried to persuade Mio not to leave them, but Ritsu reasoned them, saying that the choice was Mio's and Mio's only and that they shouldn't interfere. It wasn't like Ritsu wanted Mio to leave —on the contrary, she would give anything to make her stay as she loved more than anyone in the world—, but she did know that if Mio stayed with them she would lose the chance to be with her father for good.

"Come on, it won't be that hard… It's only for a week…" said Mio in a soothing manner, with some tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Mio is right. If that is her wish we have to respect it" agreed Ritsu seriously.

"I don't understand! Don't you love Mio-sempai, Ritsu-sempai?"

"Of course I love her, Azusa!" confessed Ritsu, standing up from the seat she was sitting on "But loving someone means to be willing to set them free to make their own decisions and not pressuring them to make things the way you want."

The younger girl silenced, defeated by Ritsu's logic.

"We will try, Mio-chan. If that's what you want, we will try" stated Mugi, wiping her tears away.

"Thank you. I had a really hard time deciding about whether I was staying or not and I will wholeheartly appreciate your efforts" responded Mio to Mugi.

"Mio-chan, please _please _don't forget us when you go to Tokyo" exclaimed the brown-haired guitarist of Hokago Tea Time, hugging Mio.

"How can I? You are my family…" Mio hugged her back.

"But you have another one now…"

"C'mon, Yui. Don't be bitter."

"Sorry, Ricchan" apologized the girl.

A bell rang, an indication that it was noon.

"Well, everyone, it's lunch time!" exclaimed Mio with fake enthusiasm, trying to change the mood of her comrades. "Shall we get going?"

The girls smiled and headed towards the door, except for Ritsu.

"Ritsu-chan, aren't you coming?" asked the blonde girl.

"Mugi, I need to talk to you."

.

.

.

"…_I'm coming with you."_

"_Really? I mean, are you sure?"_

_A nod._

"_Yes. I want to start a new life with you in Tokyo."_

"_Mio… You're making me the happiest man in the world…"_

_An embrace._

_And tears of mixed emotions running down their faces._

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.

.

The conversation between Sasuke and his daughter played again and again in his head. It felt like a dream. A dream he would gladly never wake up from. Alone in the room of the hotel he had been staying for the past month, Sasuke imagined the new life he would be sharing with Mio. He imagined having breakfast with her every morning, driving her to school before he went to work, learning about her academic feats, even scaring boys away from his precious daughter. Sasuke shook his head. Since when had he become such a sentimentalist? Mio had a greater impact on him than he had thought.

He started to wonder if his apartment was big enough for them. Having lived alone for several years, he didn't know if Mio would find it comfortable. At least, there was a spare room, Itachi's previous room, which Mio could use as her bedroom. Sasuke had turned it into an office after Itachi left, but with a few adjustments, it would be a perfect bedroom for Mio.

Maybe it was a little early for these things, he thought. They had a whole week ahead of them before they went back to Tokyo. At first, Sasuke proposed leaving the following day, but Mio asked him to leave in a week so that she had some time to say a proper goodbye to her friends. Sasuke didn't refuse; he knew that Mio was partially hurt by her own decision, which made him feel a little guilty inside. After all, Mio deserved spending some time with her friends before she left with him to a foreign, for her, city.

Everything seemed to be the way it was supposed to be. Well, not exactly. Sasuke still owed Naruto an apology and had to reconcile with Itachi. There was one more person that Sasuke had left utterly and completely devastated, but he would never be brave enough to face again. Sasuke's relaxed expression changed into a cloudy one. If only Sakura knew…

.

.

.

The first two days of the week before Mio's departure passed without any remarkable events. The girls kept their promise and acted like it was just any other week. Mio and Azusa would be the only members of the band that practised, Yui would be the cuckoolander that had always been, Ritsu would be the lazy leader of Hokago Tea Time and Mugi would make her delicious cakes for the girls. It almost felt like it was real. But reality had other plans.

Soon, the news about Mio's leaving broke in the orphanage and she was, once again, the center of the other orphanage girls' attention.

'_Mio's leaving to Tokyo with her father!'_

'_I heard that he's rich! Mio surely has a perfect life ahead of her!'_

'_Now that she'll live in Tokyo she might get to meet famous actors or singers. I'm so jealous of her!'_

'_Who isn't?'_

This time, Mio felt offended by the gossip around her, as she didn't leave the orphanage for the whole week and had to hear people whispering around her. Luckily for her, Ritsu, who couldn't bear the repetition of the past month's events, told all the girls who were gossiping Mio off and they stopped talking about the beautiful bassist of Hokago Tea Time. When Mio thanked her, Ritsu explained how much she hated it when those dumb girls were gossiping about her when she had first started to meet more frequently with her father and told her that she didn't want to relive it. Mio smiled at her confession and Ritsu _almost_ blushed.

After that obstacle was overcome, they continued their routine as it was planned.

Lessons, practice, cafeteria, chilling in the music room and tea filled the rest of their days together. Until Sunday, the day Mio was supposed to leave.

The morning found Mio with swollen eyes due to her overnight crying. She first made sure that Ritsu was asleep and then let all her frustration out with the form of tears. There was no way back and she knew it. She wanted to go with her father, but her heart was suffering at the thought of being miles away from where her friends would be.

She got up and ran immediately towards the bathroom to wash her tears away. She vowed to herself that she would not show any emotion during her 'goodbye' with her friends and she was determined to keep her promise. She knew how hard that would be, but she had to put a façade for her friends' sake.

When Mio got out of the bathroom, Ritsu was already awake. The drummer noticed Mio's red eyes but didn't say anything.

"Good morning, Ritsu" said Mio with a fake smile.

" 'morning…" mumbled Ritsu.

"We have to dress up and go down to have breakfast. It's almost 8:30" Mio told to Ritsu, as she started putting her skirt on.

Ritsu lazily reached for her uniform and headed to the bathroom. She hoped that the girls would be there on time for Mio's surprise.

.

.

.

Mio walked nonchalantly towards the cafeteria, chatting and teasing each other. When they reached their destination, Mio noticed that the door was surprisingly closed, as opposed to it being usually open during breakfast. Ritsu grinned and opened it, revealing a pleasant surprise to Mio.

All the girls of the orphanage were standing in the middle of the cafeteria, holding a banner that wrote 'We love you, Mio-chan'. Yui, Mugi and Azusa, who were standing along with the other girls, ran towards Mio and Ritsu and hugged their friend that was leaving.

Mio was in the verge of bursting into tears. She hugged back the girls and then turned to Ritsu.

"You are the reason behind this, aren't you?" she asked her best friend.

Ritsu nodded with a smirk.

"We love you, Mio-chan, and we will never forget you. We wish you good luck with your new life" said all the girls simultaneously.

Mio and the rest of the band approached the other girls. Mio, moved by their action, hugged each one of them with affection and thanked them for their wishes. Most of the girls started crying, unable to handle the emotional scene before their eyes. Mio, on the other hand, didn't give in. She stood in front of them and started speaking.

"I have been here since I was merely an infant and I never really had a family before that. I used to be alone for a long time before I met the other members of Hokago Tea Time, especially Ritsu, to be exact. Gradually, I learned to open up more and to form relationships with other people. Even though I used to hate the orphanage, it became my home and I was happy to be here, despite the hardships. Then, my father came into my life and everything changed. Now, I have a family, I'm not alone. Not only because of my father, but mainly because of you. Thank you. Thank you for being there for me."

Mio's speech managed to make even the toughest girls shed some tears. Not all girls had a close relationship with Mio, but cried nevertheless. They knew they should be happy because she had finally found the family she always cherished, but at the same time, they would miss her terribly.

"Pancakes, anyone?" asked Sawako to change the heavy atmosphere in the cafeteria.

Good thing most of the girls had a sweet tooth.

.

.

.

It was Sunday afternoon and Mio had already packed her stuff. Two suitcases were enough for all of them. She insisted on doing that alone, even though Ritsu offered to help her. How she would miss Ritsu's stubbornness! Sure, Sasuke was extremely stubborn too —she briefly wondered if Ritsu was actually his real daughter and not herself— but Ritsu was a totally different case.

Someone knocked the door. Mio told them that they could come in. Azusa, Mugi, Yui and Sawako walked in Mio's dorm, smiling serenely. Mio smiled back, knowing that behind those smiles they hid the pain they felt.

"So, you're ready, Mio-chan…" mused Mugi.

"Ah, yes. I've just finished packing" responded Mio.

"And you're leaving in an hour…" stated Azusa.

Mio looked down, saddened.

"The girls wanted to give you some gifts before your departure" said Sawako, explaining the reason why they came into her room.

Mio blinked.

"There is no need, really…"

"But we want to give you some things that will remind you of us, while you're in Tokyo" said Mugi.

"Okay then…"

The first one to give Mio her gift was Azusa. The younger girl handed her a broken guitar string.

"It's the string that I broke during our first guitar lesson. It really got me down when I did it, but Mio-sempai told me that even if we fail some times, we should always try again until we finally achieve our dreams. That meant a lot to me and I kept it as a remembrance of what Mio-sempai told me. I know that it's not something fancy or cute, but I wanted to give it to Mio-sempai so that Mio-sempai won't forget me…" said Azusa, nearly sobbing.

Mio's look softened and hugged the girl.

"I would never forget you, Azusa. Thank you…" she told the young girl.

Next, it was Mugi's turn. The blonde girl gave Mio a big jar of home-made chocolate chip cookies.

"I know it's your favourite kind of cookies, so I made you some. I doubt that the patisseries at Tokyo will have cookies like that and I didn't want you to miss them" she told Mio sweetly.

"Oh, Mugi. Thank you!" thanked her Mio.

Finally, Yui gave Mio a drawing with the five of them in some outfits Sawako had made for them.

"I hope you like it!" was the only thing Yui said.

"It's wonderful, Yui" Mio complimented her.

"Well, I don't have a present to give you but I give you my best wishes for your new life. We will miss you dearly. All of us" said Sawako.

Mio embraced Sawako.

"Thank you, Sawako. You've been like a mother to me" confessed Mio.

The three other girls joined their embrace.

"Where is Ritsu?" asked Mio, realizing the absence of her best friend.

"Music room. She wanted to give you her present there" Sawako told her.

"Can I go?" asked Mio.

Sawako nodded.

.

.

.

Mio opened the door of the music room the last time and found Ritsu next to the keyboard.

"You're here…" stated Ritsu. "Sit."

Mio did as she was told.

"I have been practicing with Mugi the entire week for that. I hope it turns out to be something good" said Ritsu.

Mio just looked at her with a confused look.

Ritsu's fingers started pressing the keys and played a familiar to Mio melody. Her lips parted and Ritsu started singing.

'_For you, there'll be no more crying,  
><em>

_For you, the sun will be shining,  
><em>

_And I feel that when I'm with you,  
><em>

_It's alright, I know it's right_

_To you, I'll give the world_

_To you, I'll never be cold  
><em>

_'Cause I feel that when I'm with you,  
><em>

_It's alright, I know it's right._

_And the songbirds are singing,_

_Like they know the score,  
><em>

_And I love you, I love you, I love you,  
><em>

_Like never before._

_And I wish you all the love in the world,_

_But most of all, I wish it from myself._

_And the songbirds keep singing,_

_Like they know the score,  
><em>

_And I love you, I love you, I love you,  
><em>

_Like never before, like never before…'_

Ritsu played the last note and a tear rolled down her cheek. Mio, with her face soaked from tears, stood up and pulled her best friend in a tight embrace.

"Don't go… Please, don't leave me…" whispered Ritsu.

Mio hugged her even tighter.

"I need you by my side…" continued the chestnut-haired girl.

"Ritsu…"

They cried for a good amount of minutes before Ritsu spoke again.

"You mean so much to me…"

"You, too"

"I can't lose you! I want you here, with me!" shouted Ritsu.

Mio broke their embrace and looked Ritsu to the eye.

"Silly, I'll always be with you. I'm right here, aren't I?" said Mio, placing her hand on the left side of Ritsu's chest.

"I can't live without you…" said Ritsu quietly.

"You will, Ritsu. You are strong and brave and…" Mio trailed off. "…You are everything I'm not. I've always admired your inner strength. So, please, be courageous for you and for me as well…" said Mio, drawing herself away from Ritsu.

"Farewell…" she said as she walked out of the music room, leaving Ritsu in tears.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Chapter ten turned into a quite emotional chapter. Mio's leaving and the girls are left heartbroken, especially Ritsu. What will next chapter bring? How will the girls cope with Mio's absence? Will Mio and Sasuke find peace, or some shocking new events will turn their lives upside down once again? Read and find out (and review, please)!_

_-UAP_


	11. Start of a New Life

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I don't own K-ON.**

* * *

><p>Mio's heavy footsteps brought her in front of the orphanage's gates. Her goodbye to Ritsu was much more painful than she had originally imagined. She might as well have torn any part of her body and it would have hurt less than being separated from Ritsu.<p>

All happened so fast. At first, Ritsu convinces her to give her father another chance, which she does, unwillingly. When she starts to build a relationship with her father, Ritsu gets jealous—Mio _did_ actually notice that even if she didn't say anything about the matter— but encourages her to follow her father when said man proposes her to live with him, nevertheless. And now, during their final moments together, she breaks into a confession, telling Mio to stay with her. Was that really Ritsu? Mio had never seen her like that before.

Mio turned around and looked at the orphanage for the last time. Her eyes started becoming watery again. From the angle she was standing she could spot the windows of the music room.

'_Ritsu is probably still there, crying'_ she thought, saddened.

The girl closed her eyes firmly and took a deep breath. Without opening her eyes, she turned around again and walked out of the orphanage, her steps rushed but even. It was as if she wanted to walk away not only from the orphanage, but from her memories as well. How easy forgetting her past would be if it was unpleasant! Too bad she had only had good things to remember.

Outside of the orphanage, a taxi was waiting for Mio. After greeting the driver and helping him with her luggage, Mio got in the vehicle, refusing to look at the place she had spent her entire life.

"To the train station" she commanded.

.

.

.

* * *

><p>Sasuke waited patiently for his daughter in the train station. Holding their tickets in his hands, he tapped his foot nervously on the ground. What if she made up her mind and decided to stay with her friends? What if they managed to convince her not to leave them? His breathing became uneven. He looked at the watch on his wrist, only to find out that there was still more than enough time until their departure.<p>

Sasuke looked around nonchalantly. Men, women, children walked around. Some in a hurry, other slowly and calmly. Some leaving, other waiting for someone special to come. Some happy, other sad. So many people! So many stories behind them! He briefly wondered about them —about their lives and their past. What if that old lady who paced slowly towards the platform with that pained expression on her face had just visited her hometown and found out her best friend died while she was away? What if that man who waited the arrival of the next train with enthusiasm and joy waited for his brother to come back from a long journey?

His gaze turned to the left and came across a young couple. The girl had been waiting for her beloved for a long time. When the train arrived, a boy about the same age as her looked around to find her. When they both spotted each other, they ran until they met in an intimate embrace. The girl started crying into her—presumably—boyfriend's arms, while the boy caressed her hair affectionately. They broke their hug for some seconds, and their lips captured each other's in a loving, yet passionate kiss. Some people had gathered around them, observing them and musing how cute they looked. The couple, embarrassed, broke the kiss and left, their fingers interlaced.

Sasuke felt a bit jealous of them. He wondered how it would feel if he, too, had someone who waited for him back in Tokyo. Someone who would greet him with a warm hug. Someone with beautiful green eyes and skin as soft as cherry bloss—

"Father! Over here!" said a voice and snapped Sasuke into reality again.

Sasuke spotted Mio from afar and gave a sign of relief.

"Thank god, you came" he told her when she reached him.

Mio blinked.

"Am I late?" she asked him.

"No, not at all. I just thought… Never mind."

"Thought what?" Mio asked him, pretending not to know what Sasuke was talking about. She was well aware of his worries, and frankly, she couldn't blame him.

"It's just nonsense… Come on, let's go. May I carry your luggage?" he responded, trying to avoid the subject.

"I'd be thankful if you did!" Mio told him, handing him her suitcase.

"I can see why…" said Sasuke, who was now forced to lift Mio's heavy luggage.

His daughter giggled at his reaction.

.

.

.

* * *

><p>"Is this the first time you're traveling by train?" asked Sasuke, noticing his daughter's behavior.<p>

Mio's restless eyes looked around curiously. Her mouth was almost gaped. She really looked like she had never done that before.

"Actually, it's the third. I have been to Osaka and Sapporo with Hokago Tea Time for some competitions. Aside from that, I have never been outside Kyoto" confessed Mio, slightly uneasy. She was sure that her father had visited many foreign countries, while she had merely visited a couple of cities in Japan.

"Never been to Tokyo?" Sasuke asked her.

Mio made a 'no' gesture with her head.

"I hope you like it. It's not a big deal, really" he responded, trying to reassure Mio.

"Maybe, for you…" Mio told him.

Sasuke shook his head.

"I live in a quiet part of the city. Life there isn't that different from Kyoto."

Mio looked out of the window, her eyes narrowing in nostalgia. Every second, the distance between her friends and herself grew further. She couldn't even see Kyoto anymore.

Sasuke could see the sadness in her eyes and felt slightly guilty about it. He wanted to banish every sad feeling from her heart and then lock them all within a dark basement. And throw the key away so that no one would be able to make her unhappy. Sasuke was sure that if his daughter knew about his thoughts that very moment, she would definitely laugh at him and his childish ideas.

"Have you ever traveled abroad?" asked Mio, surprising Sasuke but making him glad at the same time, as she was the one to bring a new topic that broke the uncomfortable silence between them.

"Uh, yeah… Mostly for business trips, though. I've been to Buenos Aires and to London" he replied.

Mio's face shone.

"Y-You have been to London?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Yes, I went there four years ago."

"I've always dreamt of visiting London…" she confessed, lowering her head. "It must be wonderful…"

Sasuke smirked.

"We can go there whenever you like" he told her.

"Really? But a trip like this would be expensive and—" she protested. She wanted to go to London so badly, but she didn't want to burden her father with that.

"Don't say that again! You know that's not a problem" said Sasuke.

"If you keep saying things like that, you'll end up spoiling me!" exclaimed Mio.

"That had always been the plan, Mio" joked Sasuke.

Mio chuckled and Sasuke _almost_ smiled.

.

.

.

* * *

><p>Shortly after Mio's departure from the orphanage, Yui, Mugi, Azusa and Sawako found themselves to the music room, where Ritsu was crying her eyes out. They found her crawling on the floor, occasionally whispering 'Mio' between her sobs. Her three friends and their teacher tried to soothe Ritsu, but it seemed pointless. Luckily, after a while, the drummer calmed down, but depression was written all over her face.<p>

The girls proposed a tea-gathering to cheer them all up. Ritsu said she didn't feel like attending, but she was forced to, eventually. The four of them drank their tea in silence for the most of the time. No one was really in the mood of talking when their friend was far, far away.

"So, what are we doing with the festival?" asked Azusa, trying to change the tensed atmosphere.

"Sawa-chan is still working on some new costumes! They look gorgeous! I can't wait to I try them on!" responded Mugi with fake enthusiasm.

"But now Mio-chan is away and we don't have another bassist! Are we going to find another one to play with us on the festival?" asked Yui naively, not understanding the seriousness of what she had just blurted out.

Ritsu snapped.

"What the hell are you talking about, Yui? Mio will never _ever_ be replaced! You hear me? Never!" she yelled at the girl.

"Ricchan…"

"Ritsu-chan, Yui wasn't—"

"God, I'm so sick of this! Sick of this place; sick of this band; everything!" shouted Ritsu before storming out the door.

"Ritsu-chan, wait!" exclaimed Mugi, running behind her.

Mugi found Ritsu in her dorm, quickly throwing things in her suitcase. She looked like she was insane. She didn't seem to notice Mugi's presence until the blonde girl called her name.

"Ritsu-chan, what are you doing?"

Ritsu didn't even bother to face her. She was in a hurry and didn't have time for useless explanations.

Fed up by Ritsu's intentional ignorance, Mugi grabbed both Ritsu's hands, preventing her from packing more things.

"What are you doing?" she asked her friend again, emphasizing each word.

"I'm going to find her" replied Ritsu, breaking free from Mugi's grasp while sending her a cold glare.

Mugi didn't need to ask who Ritsu was after, since it was more than clear she was talking about Mio.

"Ritsu-chan, you can't be serious! Even if you followed her, you would not be able to stop her. You were the one who encouraged her to choose her father over us. You can't just take what you said back" the blonde said in a serious tone.

Ritsu looked at her emotionlessly.

"I _will_ find her and I _will_ bring her back."

The girl closed her suitcase as the first tears started to fall from her eyes. Mugi hugged her and the two fell on the bed.

"Why did I let her go?"

.

.

.

* * *

><p>"Did you love her?"<p>

Sasuke blinked a few times.

"Excuse me?"

"My mother. Did you love her?" Mio asked again.

Sasuke didn't answer her question immediately. Instead, his eyes traveled down and then outside the window. The scenery was breathtaking. Everything looked peaceful and as if made of gold.

"If you expect a straightforward 'yes', I'm sorry, but I'll have to disappoint you. The answer is, I don't know" he responded, looking Mio straight to the eye.

Mio was left confused by his reply. Sasuke felt the need to explain himself further.

"When you love someone, you are supposed to prevent them from getting hurt, physically and emotionally. But I didn't. Instead, I was the one that hurt Sakura, in both body and mind. I didn't mean to—really, I didn't. But I wasn't there to help her afterwards, either" he said.

Mio gave him a subtle smile as a 'thanks' for clearing things up for her.

"Had you asked me this question a few years ago, I would have told you that I loved her more than I could explain. But now, I'm finally starting to understand that love is much more complicated than I thought it to be and it takes a lot of courage to tell somebody you love them. I just don't want to say things I'm not ready or sure about and give false impressions" added Sasuke.

"Don't worry. I like the fact that you are honest to me. It means you are starting to accept yourself and your past, and that's something you should have done a long time ago" said Mio.

"What do you mean?" asked Sasuke.

"Food for thought" responded Mio playfully, leaning back and closing her eyes, leaving her father trying to decipher the meaning of her words.

.

.

.

* * *

><p>After a few hours, Mio and Sasuke arrived in Tokyo. Mio's first impression of Tokyo was mixed. She was thrilled to visit such an enormous city, yet she found it way too dazzling for her liking. She wondered if she would in fact like it, as Sasuke had previously suggested.<p>

When they reached Sasuke's apartment, Mio was glad to discover it was indeed located in a quiet neighborhood as her father had told her. Mio hoped she would get used to the new place as well as the new lifestyle she chose.

The first thing she noticed while entering Sasuke's apartment was the thin layers of dust that covered everything in the living room and its almost imperceptible smell.

"I haven't been here in a month and a half, so it's natural. I promise that I'll clean the house as soon as I can" Sasuke reassured her.

"I can help you if you want. But now, I'm too tired to do anything. All I need is a warm bath and a bed to sleep" confessed Mio.

"The bathroom is over there" said Sasuke, pointing the room. "You can sleep in my bedroom if you want. The room I was going to give you as a bedroom currently lacks a bed, but we will go to buy one soon."

"What about—"

"Don't worry about me. I'll sleep on the couch" the man said quickly.

"I don't want to—" started Mio, but Sasuke cut her again.

"I'll be fine, Mio. Don't fret yourself over it. Now, go have a bath. You must be exhausted. It has been a stressful and tiring day for you. You need some rest."

Mio smiled.

"Thanks, dad" she said before walking into the bathroom.

Sasuke watched her as she walked away from him, his lips curling up. He sure liked how the word 'dad' sounded coming out of Mio's mouth.

By the time Mio finished her bath, Sasuke had already changed the sheets of his bed and dusted the furniture of his bedroom. He even started making dinner for him and Mio, but his daughter told him she would go to sleep straight away without eating dinner. Mio kissed her father goodnight before heading to the bedroom and falling into a heavy slumber.

The next morning found Sasuke in the living room, reading a book and waiting for his daughter to wake up so that they could have breakfast together. The living room was tidied up and the sheets he had slept on were neatly folded within the closet of Itachi's bedroom. He wanted everything to be perfect. Perfect for Mio.

Suddenly, a light knock was heard. Sasuke tilted his head towards the door but he assumed he had just imagined it, so he returned back to his book. The knock was heard again, this time louder. Sasuke stood up and headed towards the door, wondering who was seeking him at his house so early. The moment he opened the door, he felt his heart stop.

"…You?"

* * *

><p><em>AN: Hello, my dear readers of 'Rewind'! Good to see you again! I hope you enjoyed the newest chapter of my story! So, Mio goes to Tokyo with Sasuke, Ritsu is angsting over it... and someone appears in front of Sasuke's door! Who could it be... ? Let me know about your thoughts and guesses! Love all of you, whether you leave review or not. I'm glad that there are people who appreciate my writing! :D_

_Kisses, -UAP_


	12. Side Story: Tsumugi's Story

_A/N: Hi there, my dear readers! I hope you enjoyed the previous chapter of 'Rewind'. I'm sorry I didn't reply to your reviews, but I can tell you this: some of you guessed the identity of the person Sasuke met right ;). Anyway, this chapter is an extra I was planning to write ever since I first conceived the idea of 'Rewind'. It takes place during Mio's last week in the orphanage and the protagonist is... Tsumugi Kotobuki. I felt like giving a backstory to Mugi because she is one of my favourite members of HTT and because I came up with an idea it was hard for me to ignore. You'll see what I mean xD. I hope you like it :)._

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I don't own K-ON.**

* * *

><p>Sawako stood just outside her office, playing nervously with her hands. Her forehead was slightly sweaty and occasionally she would leave some heavy sighs. When she saw her, she knew it was time to do what she should have done a long time ago.<p>

"Mugi, can I talk to you for a second?"

The girl blinked. Sawako had been acting strange the whole day. At first, Mugi thought it was because of Mio's upcoming leaving, but soon she figured out there was something else that bothered Sawako.

"Of course, Sawa-chan" responded Mugi with a smile.

The older woman guided her to her office and offered her a seat.

"Mugi, I…" started Sawako, but found herself unable to continue.

Mugi simply looked at her, wondering what Sawako wanted to tell her.

Sawako took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"As you know, Mugi, all the new developments with Mio have affected us at a high degree and in more than one ways" said the woman, not entirely pleased by her introduction.

"Oh, I understand. The fact that Mio is leaving the orphanage is quite sad for us. Of course we are happy that Mio has found her father and has a chance to change her life, but at the same time we don't want to lose her. We love her dearly and that's why we are planning—" said Mugi before Sawako cut her off.

"I know, but that was not my point. I mean, the fact that Mio has found about her roots and family reminded me of my own duty to tell you about your family" confessed Sawako.

Mugi stared at her.

"Wh-why me? Why not Yui or Ritsu?" she asked, baffled.

"I'll explain later… But for now, I have to ask you something. Do you remember your mother?" asked Sawako, saddened.

Mugi's expression changed. She bit her lip as an attempt to fight back the tears forming in her eyes.

"How could I ever forget her? She was so beautiful. She had long blond hair and sky blue eyes. She was simply stunning. My father was so proud to have her as his wife. As a child, I wished I turned out to be as beautiful as she was when I grew up" said Mugi melancholically.

Sawako looked down without saying a word.

"Do you remember her name?"

Mugi nodded.

"Ino. Ino Kotobuki."

"Have you ever heard anything about her? About her life before she married Mr. Kotobuki?" Sawako asked again.

Mugi gave her a worried look.

"Is there something I was supposed to know about my mother?" she asked.

"Precisely. Have you?" insisted Sawako.

The girl put on a serious expression.

"If there is something you have to tell me, I would be eager to listen to it" responded Mugi.

"Ino was born here in Kyoto. She was the oldest kid of her family. She had one more sister. She lived along with her family in a poor neighborhood of the city, since her family was experiencing some financial problems. Despite that, Ino was determined not to continue living in poverty and she was willing to do anything to change that. It was when she was eighteen when she met Kenji Kotobuki, nineteen years her senior. Kenji-san was quite wealthy and from a well-known family of Kyoto. He was charmed by her and she enjoyed that. She always bragged about Kenji-san treating her like a queen. I hate to say that, but she wasn't really in love with him. She was in love with his money and the bright future he could provide her. Kenji-san, on the other hand, was head over heels for her and, in contrast to his mother, he didn't mind at all that Ino came from a poor family. He soon asked her hand in marriage and Ino accepted immediately. After they got married, they went to Tokyo, where Ino studied psychology in Tokyo University. After she graduated, she worked as a psychologist for several years and the fact that she was the wife of Kenji Kotobuki helped her career a lot. She was living her dream. She had everything she ever wanted, but every rose has its thorns…" Sawako trailed off.

Mugi had been patiently listening to Sawako the whole time without saying a word. When the woman stopped, she encouraged her to go on.

"As I told you before, Ino did not love her husband. It wasn't long until she started having affairs with other men. Some of them were even patients of hers. When she was bored of someone, she simply switched to someone else. She knew that that would be her downfall, but she didn't seem to care. The last affair she had was with a man named Rock Lee. He was her patient, but soon they both became drawn to each other and thus their relationship began. Lee was not exceptionally handsome, but Ino seemed somehow infatuated with him. Their relationship went on for a year, until Ino got pregnant" said Sawako.

"And then, what happened?" asked Mugi, calmly.

"Ino became pregnant with you. She knew that you were Lee's and not her husband's, but she didn't want to jeopardize her stable life. Lee, too, did not want anything that had to do with the child Ino was carrying, so they broke up. Ino tricked Kenji into believing that you were his daughter, but his mother was suspicious of her. Kenji ignored his mother's doubts and for three years he lived under the false impression that Ino's child was his. But after a test his mother forced him to have, Ino's scheme was revealed. Kenji threw her out of their house and once again, Ino had nothing. Her status, her lifestyle, her family, all gone. It was then when…" Sawako started crying.

Mugi watched her as the tears left her big brown eyes and ran down her cheeks. The girl refused to let hers fall as well.

"Ino committed suicide. It was too much for her. Kenji was at a loss after Ino's death. He sent you to his mother, as he couldn't have you around anymore, mainly because you reminded him of Ino. Soon, he became alcoholic and one night, after drinking too much, he had a fatal car accident. Meanwhile, as you may remember, Kenji's mother brought you here. It was when I first started to work here and she left you at the orphanage claiming she was too old to take care of a child. She visited you from time to time and, some times, she even took you to her house. Eventually, she stopped, and you know the rest" Sawako concluded.

The blonde girl continued to stay calm, as she had been during Sawako's narration. The woman couldn't believe in her eyes. Mugi's reaction to what she had just told her was abnormal.

"Mugi…" she muttered, not knowing what to say.

"Sawako, what you told me… I… I already knew it" explained Mugi.

Sawako felt as if she was struck by lightning. Did that mean that she also knew about…

"When I was nine, the last time grandma—I mean Kenji-sama's mother—took me to her house, I found her diary. Out of curiosity, I opened it and I read it. It was a big shock to me to find out the secrets my family kept from me. I stood there for hours, staring at the pages, trying to accept that all I had just read were true. But grandma found me. She shouted at me and then slapped me. She told me I was just like my mother and that she didn't want to see me again. We spent the rest of the day not talking to each other and she returned me here the next day. It was the last time I saw her" confessed Mugi, saddened. "But how did _you_ know?"

Sawako looked at Mugi straight to the eye for the first time after her narration.

"Mugi, do you know your mother's surname? Her family's surname?"

"No" she replied the girl, confused. "What does that have to do with what I asked you?"

"Her name was Ino Yamanaka" responded Sawako, her voice trembling as she spoke Ino's name.

Mugi's eyes widened.

"B-but that's also your surname…" she mused.

"Remember when I told you she had a younger sister?" asked the woman, her eyes meeting the ground again.

Realization struck Mugi.

"You…? You are my mother's sister?" she asked in a barely audible voice.

Sawako didn't say a word. Her expression was all Mugi needed to be convinced.

The girl stood up from her seat. Sawako feared the worst. Mio's reaction after meeting her father was not pleasant at all and she didn't want Mugi to hate her. But she was ready to face the reality. If Mugi felt hurt and betrayed it was all her fault. She knew she should have told her the truth earlier, but she had never found the courage to do so. Even if Mugi grew to despise her after that, she would accept it, but she would never stop loving her niece.

Mugi walked in front of Sawako, who was still sitting on her seat. The girl stared at her intensely. Sawako closed her eyes. All was up to Mugi now.

And suddenly, the woman felt two warm arms around her. Mugi's body was pressed against her own in an embrace. Sawako couldn't move.

"Aren't you mad at me?" asked Sawako on the verge of tears.

Mugi only hugged her harder.

"I always felt there was a connection between us. Back then, I couldn't explain it, but now…" Mugi trailed off. "Thank you for being by my side."

Sawako let all her tears fall. And so did Mugi.

.

.

.

They spent hours crying and talking about Ino. It was painful for both of them, but they agreed that they would overcome their pain together. They had each other now.

"Sawa-chan, I have to go now. I have a piano lesson with Ritsu" announced Mugi.

"Ritsu wants to learn how to play the piano?" asked Sawako surprised.

"Well, she wants to give Mio her own personal present before she leaves" said the girl, making her way to the door.

"Mugi" she heard the woman say and she turned around.

"Would you mind if the girls didn't find out about our relation?" asked Sawako, as if embarassed.

Mugi smiled at her.

"Not at all, aunt Sawako!"

* * *

><p><em>AN: Mio isn't the only one that has parents from Narutoverse! See what I did there? Ino (blond hair/blue eyes) + Rock Lee (big eyebrows) = Mugi! Not to mention Sawako and Ino sharing the same surname xD!_

_Loving every single one of you,_

_-UAP_


	13. Worth Being Said

_A/N: Guess who's back! First of all, I'm sorry for being such a terrible author and not having updated my story in months, but school has been soooo tiresome :(. Better late than never, though. This is the official last chapter of 'Rewind', but I owe you for reading my story all these years, so I'm making one more chapter, that'll be about... Well, I'm not saying more, because I might spoil the ending. Love every single one of you! :)_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto/ K-ON!**

* * *

><p>"I'm not the fool I pretend to be. Everyone thinks of me as a silly little girl who does not have a single problem in her life. Even <em>I<em> have tried to convince myself that this is who I am. But I've had enough. I'm tired of being the clown that makes everyone laugh when they're down. I have feelings too. I feel anger, sadness, despair as everyone else does. I've watched my parents and my sister dying in front of me. I've been alone for so many years. I've been crying almost every night since I came here. But nobody cares about me. Yui Hirasawa's sole purpose in life is making others laugh with her stupidity, right?"

Azusa looked at the girl with a stern look. It was more of an understanding look than a sympathetic one. She had never seen Yui as serious as that, but somehow she didn't seem surprised.

"I know what you mean, Yui…' she started.

The older girl stared at her with eyes wide open.

"You didn't call me…" she muttered surprised.

"Because I'm done with feeling inferior to everyone! I, too, have been pretending to be someone I'm not just to please others. Do something wrong and you'll get beaten black and blue; that's how my life was when I lived with the people that gave birth to me. Every single day spent with them was a day spent in hell. The physical wounds may have been healed by time, but I don't think I'll ever get over the psychological ones" continued Azusa emotionlessly.

"You…" Yui struggled to find the right words to express what she felt towards the girl's confession, but failed.

"I'm not telling you this as a means of comparing what the two of us have been through. Everyone fights their own battles. That's what I want you to know" responded Azusa to Yui's unspoken question.

Tears started spilling from Yui's eyes as she set her arms around Azusa.

"Thank you…"

"Yui-chan, Azusa-chan…"

Called girls broke their embrace as soon as they heard their friend's voice.

Mugi stood by the Music Room's door, giving them a warm smile, as always. Next to her, a less enthusiastic—but much calmer than before—Ritsu.

"We're back" announced the blonde, heading towards the girls while holding Ritsu by the hand.

"Feeling better now?" Yui asked Ritsu sweetly.

The drummer kept looking at the floor.

"I'm sorry…" she said quietly.

Yui's hand moved to her friend's chin and, gently, she lifted it up.

"You don't have to apologize" she soothed her. "I don't blame you for shouting at me. I know how much you love Mio and that you didn't want her to leave. But life doesn't always go the way we want it to. You have to remind yourself that she is happy the way she is and your encouragement was what leaded her to this happiness. She will never forget you; she will never forget _us_. Mio will always be in our hearts and I'm pretty sure we will be in hers too. The distance between our bodies may seem big, but our bonds will never break."

Ritsu's lips curled up in a bittersweet smile.

.

.

.

The pupils of his eyes dilated at the sight before him. Had he seen ghost, he would have been less surprised than seeing the person standing at his door. For a moment, he was convinced that everything was just a dream. A dream he had to wake up from, if he wanted to preserve his sanity.

But she was real.

He could see her. He could touch her. He could feel her.

_Her face, her eyes, her hands…_

She _was_ real.

"… You?"

"Long time no see, Sasuke-kun…"

"Sakura…" he whispered her name as if he muttered a prayer.

Dressed in a simple attire and with her medium-length hair down, Sakura seemed like an angel to Sasuke's eyes. Despite being in her thirties, she still looked quite young. The only proof of her inner conflicts she had been experiencing the past years was her eyes. Sasuke was sure that those emerald green orbs had produced a lot tears during those fifteen years. And he wasn't there to wipe them away.

"I'm sorry for being here so early. I've been coming a lot in the past month. I've been knocking your door but no one would open" she said bowing her head down.

"I wasn't here" Sasuke responded quickly, still in a state of shock.

Sakura said nothing back. She kept her head down, occasionally playing with her hands.

"Would you like to come in?" said Sasuke without giving it much thought.

Sakura lifted her head and gave him a subtle smile.

.

.

.

"Your house hasn't changed much" mused Sakura. "Still living with Itachi?"

"No…" said Sasuke.

"Mind if I sit?" asked the woman.

Sasuke shook his head. He still didn't seem to have fully realized that _Sakura_ was right in front of him. All seemed like a hallucination that could disappear with a blink of the eye. A dream he didn't want to wake up from but he was also unsure about.

Sakura sat lightly on the sofa, inviting Sasuke to follow suit. The man, on the other hand, preferred to keep a small distance between them—much to Sakura's dislike, though she did not show it—and sat on the armchair next to the sofa instead. He offered some coffee or tea, but she declined politely. A pregnant silence occurred between them, until Sasuke found the courage to ask her why she wanted to see him.

"I recently got an invitation for Naruto's wedding. I was so happy for him, even though I haven't seen him in fifteen years. Thinking about Naruto reminded me of you as well…" she trailed off.

Sasuke gave her a questioning look.

"Not like you ever left my mind" she continued, looking him straight to the eye.

"But why now?" he asked her.

"I can bear running away from my past anymore."

Sasuke lowered his head. He knew that feeling well.

"I guess you are as curious for my life all these years as I am for yours…" stated Sakura. "If you don't mind, I'll start first."

Sasuke's heart started beating fast again. Fifteen years. Fifteen years being apart from each other. What could have possibly done within that time?

"After the birth of our daughter- first of all, do you know her name?"

"No…" Sasuke lied.

Sakura bit her lip.

"Mio. Her name is Mio…" she told him bitterly.

"After her birth, I became quite depressed for a long period. I missed my child, I didn't have you by my side; I felt horribly about myself. My parents started having some really bad arguments, whose cause was me. My mother hated me for what I did to myself and to her. My father, on the other hand, started standing up for me after seeing my mother's reaction towards me. They eventually broke up and I felt so guilty about that. I couldn't sleep at nights and I barely ate. That is when I started feeling some really intense aches in my lower abdomen. I went to an obstetrician, and then I found out I had to have surgery, and, in short, I can't have children anymore" said Sakura, letting a tear escape her eyes.

Sasuke leaned to hug her, but he backed off almost immediately. He looked at her pained. Maybe Sakura had it worse than him.

"I was completely devastated. Not only I would never see my only daughter again, but also I would not have any other children. I couldn't start my life anew. But, to be honest, even if I could, I wouldn't want anyone but you…" confessed Sakura.

Sasuke would have blushed if not for the heavy atmosphere.

"I started seeing a psychologist to soothe the pain from all those traumas. I was doing quite well for some time. I started taking courses to become a nurse. I wanted to become a doctor instead, but I didn't meet the college's expectations…" she said sadly.

The man knew how much Sakura wanted to become a doctor when she was younger. He was sure that if nothing happened, she would have achieved her dream. Yet another thing he felt guilty about.

"But then, my psychologist had to deal with some serious stuff about her family, and she committed suicide. I felt so bad for her. She was the only person who really helped me during those hard years. May her soul rest in peace… After that, I didn't go to another psychologist. I tried to follow everything she had said to me and I can say I wasn't as bad as before. Of course, these wounds don't heal easily. I still had no one by my side. Even my parents didn't seem to care anymore. I managed to cope with it, though. I found a job in a local clinic and that made me feel useful" she told him with a semi-forced smile.

"I wasn't complete without you…" said the woman, caressing Sasuke's face softly.

The man closed his eyes and reveled in the moment.

"I want you…"

God, these words sounded so tempting, so _seducing_, in his ears.

"…in my life again."

Then again, maybe not.

Sasuke forced his eyes open.

"Sakura, it's not that easy…"

Sakura withdrew her hand from his cheek.

"I don't want to make more mistakes, Sasuke. I've lived many years of regret and I honestly don't want to do that anymore" she told him on a serious tone.

She sounded so determined, Sasuke was surprised.

"I don't want us to pretend that nothing happened between us. I want us…" she didn't know if it was the right time to say it, but she had to do so. "I want us to find our daughter again."

Sasuke stared at her confused. He wanted to tell her that their daughter was sleeping peacefully a few rooms away from them, but he wasn't sure of the consequences. It would be too much for all of them.

"I understand your surprise, but together, we can make it…" she told him, hope lingering at her bright green eyes.

Momentarily, he felt intoxicated by her look. She was so beautiful. After all this time, she was still the girl he had fallen in love with. The innocent, smart, loving Sakura he once claimed as his.

Without either of them realizing it, they drew themselves close to each other.

"Your bed feels so good! I haven't slept like that in ages!" said a voice that belonged to a girl.

Sasuke and Sakura broke apart and froze at the sight of the girl that had just come out of Sasuke's bedroom.

"I see… You have company… I guess I'll get going…" said Sakura, hurt.

The girl looked quite pretty. Long black hair, tall, nice body. Sasuke seemed to have twice her age, though. She looked like she was still in school.

The woman lifted herself up and moved towards the door.

Mio, who had just recovered her post-sleeping state, realized what had just happened and—

"Wait!" she told the woman nervously. "Are you Sakura? Sakura Haruno?"

Sakura started getting irritated. Why did that girl care?

"So?" she said almost rudely, turning around.

And she met the girl's watery dark grey eyes.

Those eyes she had seen only once in her life and thought she would never see again.

"You can't be… Sasuke… She… She can't be…" mumbled Sakura.

The girl burst into tears and so did the woman. Sakura ran toward her and embraced her tightly.

"Mio… My baby… My baby…" she managed to say between her sobs.

Mio cried harder.

The two of them collapsed on the floor, still hugging each other.

"M-mother…" said Mio for the first time in her life.

Sakura looked at her daughter to the eyes.

"I never stopped loving you. I have always been with you. When you were born, I told you I would be. I'm sorry I wasn't brave enough for you. I'm sorry I didn't give you the life I wanted to have. I'm sorry…" apologized Sakura.

"I love you, too" was the only thing Mio could say.

Mother and daughter hugged again and kept still for a long time.

"Sasuke, you… How…?" said Sakura, turning to him.

Sasuke, gave her a real, warm smile. He leaned next to them and embraced both of them.

"It's a long story, but worth being said, I guess…"

* * *

><p><em>AN: Love you all -UAP :)_


	14. Never too late

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto or K-on!

* * *

><p>"… twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four and, finally, twenty-five!"<p>

"You've already counted them six times, Sakura. They're not going anywhere—they're just boxes, for heaven's sake!"

The woman pouted.

"They're boxes that contain all our stuff, dear Sasuke-kun. I want to be sure that nothing gets lost" she countered, placing her hands on her hips. "We're moving to another city and you seem so… indifferent."

"Not indifferent. Just less sensitive about trivial things as spoons and plates."

Sakura snorted.

"Fine."

Sasuke shook his head and took a few steps closer to her. Then, while gently caressing her waist, he leaned his head down to hers.

"Annoying woman…" he whispered teasingly at her.

"Annoy_ed_ woman" she corrected him.

A slight smirk appeared on Sasuke's mouth, something that only managed to anger Sakura even more.

"You—"

Whatever her accusation was, it was silenced by a sudden peck on her lips. Sakura's heart thumped, as if she still was that thirteen year old girl she had once been. Spontaneity was never one of Sasuke's characteristics, not even as a child or an adolescent, and yet here he was kissing her out of the blue.

'_Well, so he wouldn't have to put up with my ranting'_ thought Sakura, slightly pissed at him, but surprised nevertheless.

Sasuke was the first to pull away, leaving a semi-flustered Sakura behind.

The woman lowered her head to the floor and sighed.

"I'm sorry… I just really want to make it work this time. I want everything to be perfect for us, but first and foremost, for Mio" she confessed.

"I know. You don't have to stress over unimportant details, though. Mio will finally have the family she deserved. And that's the only thing matters" Sasuke responded to her.

Sakura kissed his forehead lovingly, as a sign of gratitude.

"Thank you" she muttered.

"What for?"

"A lot of things. But, right now, for giving me—_us_—a chance to correct all those past mistakes."

"It was Mio who gave us both this chance."

"Speaking of her, where is she? The train leaves in an hour and a half" asked Sakura.

"Probably in her room" replied the man. "Mio!"

"I'm coming!" responded a voice.

The girl appeared in front of them a few minutes later, carrying the very same suitcase she did when she first moved to Tokyo. A smile adorned her face. Hope and excitement for the bright future ahead of them made her heart beat faster than usual.

"Ready for Kyoto?" her mother asked.

"You can't imagine!" replied Mio enthusiastically.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

.

"She'll be here in less than five hours! Mio will be here in less than five hours and everything is a mess! Oh, God!"

The woman was pacing up and down in her office, trying, and failing, to cease her anxiousness. When Mio's parents declared that they were moving to Kyoto so Mio would get to live close to her dear friends again, she couldn't have been happier. Everyone missed Mio, but most of all, the four remaining members of Hokago Tea Time. The band was not the same after Mio's departure. The girls stopped practicing for a long period of time, something that lead to them not taking part in the festival as they had planned to, when Mio was still with them. Needless to say, when they found out that she was coming back again they couldn't believe their ears. With the help of Sawako and the rest of the orphanage girls they decided to celebrate Mio's arrival with a mini concert, just like the day she left. A whole month of planning the celebration felt like a dream. Right now, though, not so much.

"Sawa-chan, calm down! It's okay. We have plenty of time ahead of us" Mugi tried to reason her.

"Mugi is right, Sawako-sensei. Not even Ritsu is that nervous" added Azusa.

Yui and Mugi threw her an are-you-serious look.

"…I take that back"

"Where is this girl, anyway? I asked her to tidy up her dorm in case Mio decides to spend the night here, but I haven't seen her ever since!" exclaimed Sawako.

"Ricchan is in the music room. She is practicing" answered a smiling Yui.

"Again? I thought you were done with the rehearsals" questioned the older woman.

"Ritsu-chan wants the performance to be flawless. She's even been practicing alone over the week to make sure of it" said Mugi.

"Really?" mused Sawako, then shook her head. "Girls, we've already lost three whole minutes! Let's get down to business! Yui, Azusa, gather all the girls in the cafeteria and make sure they're well-aware and ready for Mio's arrival. Mugi, come with me—we have to finish my present for Mio" commanded Sawako.

"We will not disappoint you, Sawa-chan!" said Yui, copying a professional manner.

Not even taking three steps away from the chair she'd been sitting, she tripped on the carpet and fell on the floor with a heavy 'thud'.

"Ouch…"

"Yeah, Sawako-sensei, you can count on us to screw everything up" said Azusa cynically.

The woman with the glasses, as well as her niece, giggled at the girls.

"I trust you" she told them sincerely.

After the two girls left the room, Mugi turned to Sawako.

"Are you sure about the present?" she asked her aunt, worried.

Sawako gave her a devilish smile.

"Can't wait to see her reaction."

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

.

The weather had been relatively good, considering it was mid-November. A few clouds were staining the sky, but apart from that, everything seemed fine. The orange hues of the afternoon and the way they made the scenery simply breathtaking reminded Sasuke of the day he had left Kyoto with Mio.

And now, there he was, going back again along with his daughter and the woman he loved and thought would never see again. He observed Sakura. How she gazed outside the window, looking nowhere in particular, but curiously. How her chest moved up and down with every breath she took. Her slightly parted lips. The nostalgic expression in her eyes.

_What was she thinking?_

"It was a nice wedding. Naruto's" she said suddenly, her look never leaving the window.

"Think so?" asked Sasuke, nonchalantly.

"Yeah… And his wife… She is so cute!" she responded, this time turning towards him.

"They have been together since college. To tell you the truth, I didn't expect them to stay together for so long, let alone marry. I could never imagine a woman wanting Naruto as her husband" commented the man.

"Meanie" said Sakura playfully. "Still, weddings are so wonderful…"

Mio thought that that was the perfect chance to tease her parents.

"You mean like a wedding between you two?" she told them, pointing each with her index fingers.

"Yes—No! I wasn't… I mean I didn't…" Sakura choked on her own words, as her daughter caught her off guard.

Mio chuckled and threw a glance at her blushing father.

"Wait, did you just propose to dad?" she asked again, continuing her teasing.

Sakura's face was buried in her hands. Sure, Sasuke and she tried to rebuild their relationship, making plans for a future shared with their daughter, but they never really brought that subject of marriage up. That didn't mean she didn't think about it though.

"…It's fine by me" said a masculine voice.

Sakura raised her, now crimson, head and looked at an equally red Sasuke.

Not in a thousand years Mio thought that a simple tease between her and her parents would lead to their actual wedding. She just sat there, waiting for a reaction of them.

When she saw, though, that they wouldn't do anything—out of embarrassment, shock or whatever—she decided to take lead again.

Mio took her father's large hand and placed it on her mother's delicate one.

"You have my blessings."

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

.

No sound of drums was heard from the music room and Mugi briefly wondered why. According to Yui, Ritsu should be practicing for their upcoming concert—dedicated to the return of her best friend, no less. But, it didn't seem like she did so. Hesitantly, the blonde twisted the knob of the door, hoping she didn't disturb the drummer.

Ritsu was sitting across the room, near the windows. She didn't look like she was looking outside of it, though. Lost in her thoughts, she only noticed Mugi when she approached her.

"Sawa-chan has been looking for you" she told her with a smile.

Ritsu didn't return one.

"I was practicing."

If Mugi didn't know Ritsu better, she would assume she wasn't happy with Mio's return. Taking a seat beside her, she asked the girl what was wrong.

The 'nothing' she received as a reply wasn't a satisfying answer. She asked again, this time accompanied by an intense look.

"I'm afraid" said Ritsu, her voice almost trembling.

"Of what?"

"That things won't be as they were before" added the brunette.

Mugi knew what Ritsu meant. It wasn't like it hadn't crossed her mind before. Mio had a family now. A mom, a dad, a home. She would live with her parents. She would run to her parents when she ever had a problem. She would have her parents by her side. But the rest, they didn't have anyone but one another. Her path was quite different from theirs.

Despite that, Mugi's perspective was not the same as Ritsu's.

"Is that bad, though?" she countered her friend. "Mio is the only one who had a chance for a real family and she made the right choice by following her father. Yet, she never forgot about us and right now she's coming back because she wants us in her life. Love is not divided, Ritsu-chan, is multiplied. She loves her family, yes, but that doesn't mean she doesn't care about her friends."

"I never said, or even implied, that Mio doesn't care. But we can't sit there and pretend that everything will be back to normal when it clearly won't" insisted Ritsu.

Mugi let out a sigh.

"Well, of course it won't. Mio will have to balance her life between us and her family" concluded the pianist.

Ritsu's look turned sharper.

"See? That's exactly what I'm talking about!" she exclaimed.

Mugi let yet another sigh out.

"I thought we had already talked this out, Ritsu-chan…"

Said girl lowered her eyes to the floor.

"We are not Mio's entire world. She is a person with multiple relationships and we have to respect that. And not make her _our_ entire world either…" underlined Mugi.

Ritsu dwelled on it for some time. Then, sheepishly, she admitted her agreement with Mugi's statement.

"I'm not criticizing you, Ritsu-chan. If anything, I truly believe that your previous outburst was out of the nervousness you feel. But please remember you have your own life, as much as Mio has hers."

Ritsu's amber eyes looked at the girl with sympathy, while her lips curled in a sincere smile. Copying her, Mugi smiled back.

"Let's go to Sawa-chan, now" suggested the blond girl.

Ritsu's lips twisted in indecision.

"Actually…" she began, rising from her seat "I have a better idea."

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

.

Sakura felt a strange sentiment by the time she entered the orphanage's court. Sasuke seemed kinda nervous and Mio was far too excited to even notice, but it occurred to her as soon as she passed the gates. She couldn't really explain what that was, but she would admit it wasn't quite pleasant. Shame, guilt, sadness all rolled into one.

'_The place where Mio—my daughter—grew up. The substitute of the home I denied her of'_ she thought, almost disgusted by her self.

As the three walked by, she peeked at her fiancé.

'_Did you feel the same when you first came here, Sasuke?'_

"I can't wait to introduce you my friends! I'm sure you'll love them" Mio turned to her mother, smiling.

Mio's happy face was all it took for Sakura to forget her own problems.

"Mio!" a woman screamed.

"Sawa-chan!"

Mio ran towards Sawako and embraced her tightly.

The older woman couldn't contain her tears. Her glasses soon became foggy from her watery eyes.

"We missed you terribly!" she exclaimed. "My, look how much you've grown!"

Mio chuckled, noticing she had almost reached her teacher's height.

"Hello, Sawako" greeted Sasuke.

"Sasuke-san! Hello!" she quickly responded straightening her shirt and skirt.

"Mom, this is Sawako Yamanaka, the manager of the orphanage, but most importantly, the woman that brought us up. Sawa-chan, this is my mother."

The woman with the glasses turned to Sakura and gave her a warm smile.

"Nice to meet you, Sakura-san!"

Despite only knowing her for less than a minute, Sakura imitated her daughter's previous action and hugged Sawako as if she were an old friend.

"I could say a thousand 'thank you's and, still, I wouldn't have expressed my gratitude towards you to the extent I feel it. Thank you for being a mother to Mio when I wasn't" she sobbed.

Sawako hugged her back, feeling sorry for the woman's inner struggles.

"Don't be so harsh with yourself, Sakura-san! I can hardly say I was a mother to Mio, because she already had one: you. You were separated, that's all" she tried to comfort her.

The two women stayed still for some time. Mio, wanting to ease the heavy atmosphere and feed her own curiosity asked Sawako where her friends were.

"They were supposed to be at the cafeteria where we would throw a celebration for you, but they cancelled it the last minute! They said they'd be to _'you-know-where'_ in case you asked" she replied.

Before Sawako could finish the sentence, Mio was already gone.

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

.

Funny how nothing seemed to have changed during her four-month absence. The aisle that lead to music room, the stairs, the small room beside it. It didn't feel like she had not been there for so long. For all she knew, she could still be the same girl she had been half a year ago, running towards the music room to be in time for practice.

And for a moment, she was. No mum, or dad in her mind. Just her and her friends. She opened the door without trembling or anxiousness. A casual hang out with HTT.

The girls were sitting at the table drinking tea and chatting carefree. Mio stood by the door and took a look at the scene before her.

"Slacking off again, huh? Guys! We have practice to do" she said, trying to sound serious.

"Mio! You're late!" exclaimed Ritsu.

"Mio-chan, would you like some tea? We have chocolate-flavoured cake, too" offered Mugi kindly.

"I… guess so" responded the girl, taking a seat. "But then, we'll practice!"

"Mio-chan, you know you can't resist choco cake!" Yui teased her.

"Says the girl who can be distracted by dust for two hours" commented Azusa.

"Azu-nyan!" said Yui back.

The rest of the girls giggled.

When the laughter stopped, all five of them looked each other with a burning desire to say something, but they didn't know how.

Then, all of a sudden, they all stood up, completely synchronized, and pulled into a group hug. Tea was spilled, cake was thrown to the floor, tears of joy stained the table, but the girls wouldn't have it any other way.

"Welcome home!"

* * *

><p>.<p>

.

.

"…_A maid outfit?"_

_A stare._

"_Seriously?"_

_A smirk._

"_Bad habits die hard."_

* * *

><p><strong>FIN<strong>

* * *

><p><em>AN: It's been a wonderful journey, guys :')_


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